Memories In Time
by SailorPerfect
Summary: Their love was forbidden, as strong and deadly as death. With the threat of war and powers protesting their union, they took one another, and would suffer the consequences of a Dark Prince returning to reclaim this woman he had sworn would belong to him
1. Prologue: History of the Legends

**Author's Note:** I was flipping through most of my stories and I realized I don't really have too many centered on Serena and Darien, back during the Silver Millennium. I do have 'At First Sight' but that was my first story I wrote on Sailor Moon. I wrote the first half of this fanfic as me narrating it, like what happened in the past years. I also put in lots of fables and myths, with some Greek legends since we all know that the origin of Sailor Moon comes from these myths anyway. But what I did was to change most of the story as we know it and I hope you all don't mind. So I hope you enjoy this story and E-Mail me what you thought.

**Memories in Time**

By: SailorPerfect

Prologue: History of the Legends

Once, not long ago, the Silver Millennium existed on the Moon, with several planets aligned to them and the Queen Serenity standing as it's just and wise ruler. She was a beautiful woman with a kind heart, but a powerful spirit. Hundreds of years passed, until one day she was delivered of a daughter, a child she named Selenity and who would one day take her place and rule the kingdom. Many whispered of the origins of the child, but no one dared ask who could have fathered her. She had the features and coloring of her mother and absolutely no resemblance to any man in the Silver Millennium.

As the years passed, the child grew, more perfect in featuring then even her mother had been. And just as time went by and she grew more perfect, her powers grew as well, frightening to some, but never causing her mother to even blink. The Queen seemed to expect these changes, but others were terrified. The Queen had never shown such immense power at such a young age. Some even believed the child was more powerful then her mother. Suspicion grew, so much that people suspected the father could be Nemesis, King of Earth and wreaker of havoc. Nemesis was a powerful man, but evil at heart. It was in him people thought the Queen could have had a secret affair, but it was never confirmed.

No one believed it could be true because Nemesis had a wife, a small woman who had borne him twins, two sons, Ares, the older of the two, and Endymion, the younger one. The Queen was a woman who had strong beliefs and morals, and also respect for others.

The years went by and one day a strong power came, erupting across the universe and causing a war to break out. Nemesis took the lead, coming to the Moons aid when this evil, known as Chaos, threatened to destroy the Silver Millennium and everything it had created. As the war took a climactic turn, as the clouds of dust caused by the warriors rose and seemed to swallow them, they cleared days later, revealing the bodies of several men on the plains of the Moon, among them Nemesis and the Queen.

Many mourned the passing of the Queen, but several were relieved of the death of the King of Earth. He had long since instilled fear into the hearts of his people. They saw finally a time ahead where fear would no longer rule.

The Queens daughter, now eighteen years old, took over the Moon after her mother's death. On the Earth, Ares took over after his father, naming his twin brother Endymion his head General and Ambassador.

Months after the Millennium War, Endymion went to the Moon to speak with the new Queen, meeting Selenity and instantly falling in love with her beauty. They spent hours together, talking and laughing. Before he left to return to Earth he proposed marriage, thrilled when she accepted. There engagement and future set, he departed for home.

In the weeks following peace seemed to rule once again, with memories of the war far behind. Endymion made plans to return to the Moon, excited to see his future bride. He boarded a shuttle from Earth and left.

He never arrived.

Selenity grew frantic when she realized the shuttle seemed to have disappeared. A search was launched by both the Moon and Earth, sending every possible man and pilot in search of him.

And as time passed, he was never found. Eight months after the search had began, Selenity and Ares, both exhausted and miserable, gave up the search, naming Endymion for dead. He was buried on Earth, in an empty casket, and both people who had relied on him so much went on with there lives.

A monument was built in honor of a young Prince on both Earth and the Moon, for a man who had been unable to finish his life. People would look to it and remember to cherish every moment they had, every moment with there loved one.

And as several years went by, years of peace and prosperity, his memory faded into time and history.

But they never should have forgotten him, a Prince who had died young...

Stay tuned for Chapter


	2. Chapter 1: Forbidden Love

**Author's Note:** here's the first chapter, hope your enjoying! The story basically moves into its plot quickly because its how I planned it to be. It will slow down a bit after most of the events happen.

**Memories in Time**

By: SailorPerfect

Chapter 1: Forbidden Love

The Planet Earth

Ares, King of Earth, proud son of Nemesis, a dangerous, yet most handsome man in the universe, stood on the huge balcony of his Kingdom, his hands folded behind his back, his sharp, opaque eyes riveted on the sight below. In the early morning he wore black trousers and a black shirt, with long black boots that reached to midcalf. His hair was thick and as dark as his attire, his expression hard as he watched the shuttle that had come from the Moon landing slowly on the space port hundreds of feet before the palace. And even though his features were fierce, he looked dangerously handsome, with the wind ruffling through his dark hair. His eyebrows were dark and drawn into a scowl, his nostrils flared, his usually sensual lips drawn into a tight line.

His outer appearance was rigid and tight, the bulging muscles of his arms strained as he held them in check. His shoulders were broad and strong, his chest massive in size from years of training in hand to hand combat. His waist was narrow, his legs thick with muscle as well. Standing there on his balcony, his eyes on the sight in the distance, he displayed the proud countenance of a man in his prime.

The shuttle landed safely, the engines shutting off as he watched. In it was the Queen of the Moon, Selenity, and the love of his late brother's life. Endymion had loved her fiercely, so much it had amazed him. He himself had never felt love for any woman in such a way. They were there for his bodily purposes, there for satisfaction and nothing more.

He had never met the woman, but from what Endymion had said, she was absolutely perfect. Then again, everyone told him that. It had made him curious to see her, to meet her. He hadn't had enough time in the past couple of years to call her to him, had mostly made excuses to himself, but now he finally had. Everything on his planet seemed to be neutrally taken care of and he finally had time to himself. It seemed the perfect time to meet her and thank her for her alliance to the Earth.

When the knock came at his door, he walked out, shutting the door to his chambers as his head General spoke to him, Endymion's replacement. "She's landed." Malachite informed him, although Ares was aware of it.

"We go to meet her then." Ares walked ahead of him, Malachite following.

They saddled horses and rode out, the carriage for the royal family following. The carriage would be brought along for Selenity to ride in, as well as her guard. She had brought only two guards with her, leaving the other two on the Moon, from what he'd been informed. It showed great respect to her and her guard for the royal carriage to be there passage back to the palace.

Bringing his galloping stallion to a halt before the shuttle, he dismounted and approached the shuttle, where the Queen remained, waiting for him. "Inform her majesty that I have arrived for her." He told a Moon soldier, who nodded and entered the shuttle.

Moments passed, with him pacing outside. He had always been a restless man, never able to keep still. His mother had often told him he had a restless soul, but he had paid little heed to that. To him, keeping busy was essential in life. He wasn't a man to sleep an afternoon away, or to even sit and relax. Laziness accomplished nothing.

Endymion had been like him to only a certain extent. He had trained with Ares, sparred with him, kept up with him, until his own body had given out. He had often left his older brother to go and relax, take a quiet break while Ares continued his day. There father, Nemesis, had approved of Ares' persistence, of his never faltering desire to achieve his goal until he was the best. He had been pleased with his strong son and been relieved he would leave Earth to such a leader.

Nemesis had always favored Ares over Endymion, praising his older son, never supporting Endymion at any moment. It had confused Ares, made him wonder why there father had seemed forever angry with his younger son. Endymion had been strong and full of courage, like Ares, but Nemesis had never been pleased.

The shuttle doors opened, drawing Ares' attention back to the present time. Stopping his pacing, he walked back to and stood before the entrance at the bottom of the ramp, watching as two tall women emerged dressed in warriors clothing. One was beautiful, with long blonde hair and eyes as blue as the ocean, her features set in an unmoving expression. She had a slim body, yet strong as well.

Dismissing her, he turned to eye the other guard, a large woman with brown hair and deep green eyes. She was even taller and seemed stronger then the blonde woman, her eyes surveying him and his men standing before them.

The two women moved aside and it was then that a brilliant light seemed to fill his vision, so bright he took a moment to blink against it. When it faded and he looked back, a woman with long, silvery hair, deep blue eyes and pearly white skin walked slowly down the ramp. Her features were stunning and absolutely perfect, her eyebrows small and above almond shaped eyes, her nose small, her lips shaped sensually and pink against flawless skin. She was smaller then her guard, barely seeming to reach his shoulders as she came to a stop a few feet before him. She wore a white, flowing gown that clung to her shapely curves, her breasts small and supple, her waist tiny.

He could feel his eyes bugging out of his head, could feel such raging lust filling him as he had never felt before. And being a man, he hardened immediately.

Uncomfortable with it and with the desire he felt for his late brothers fiancé, he cleared his throat. "I welcome you to Earth, your highness. I am-"

"Ares, King of Earth." She interjected, her voice soft and husky. "I would recognize you anywhere. You have your brother's eyes."

He had known this all his life, but hearing her say it bothered him. He didn't want her looking at him and seeing his dead brother. "Yes, so others have said. It seems that is the only feature we both shared, acquired from our mother."

She smiled, slow and so beautiful he could feel his heart pounding. "Yes, your right." She cocked her head to the side, studying him with such obvious appraisal he was shocked. "You look nothing like him."

When she offered her hand he took it, bending over it and brushing his lips over it. He had never done this act for any other woman, not even his own mother. It made him wonder what kind of power this goddess of beauty and light could already have over him.

He straightened and offered her his arm, her small hand coming to rest in the crook of his powerful arm. Together, they walked to the waiting carriage.

::

"He flustered you Selene." Mina, head guardian to the Queen of the Moon, stated flatly. She watched as her Queen stood at her balcony, watching something out in the courtyard.

Selene kept her eyes on the man below, the dark man who's eyes had caused chills to run up her spine. He stood naked to the waist, a sword in hand as he trained with his four Generals. His upper body was thick with muscle, glistening with sweat and filling her with such desire she felt her mouth go dry.

When Selene didn't answer, Mina snapped, "Selene! Did you hear what I said!"

She snapped to attention, but didn't tear her eyes from him. "What is it Mina?"

"I said, 'he flustered you.'" she repeated, annoyed.

Lita walked to the balcony, glancing down and noting what had there Queen so enraptured. "He is quite the man, isn't he Selene? Makes a woman want when she knows she shouldn't, doesn't he?"

Selene sucked in a sharp breath when he glanced up and there eyes locked, when he stared up at her with an intensity that was almost frightening. "Yes...God, yes he does." when she couldn't hold his gaze any longer she looked away, nervous. This wouldn't do. Endymion had never caused such emotions inside her.

Mina stalked over to the balcony as well, saw him staring up at her still. "No. No, goddamnit no! Not with him!" she whispered it fiercely to them."You cannot want this with him!"

"How do you know what I want?" where her body had never ruled, now it seemed to dominate. Her heightened desire for him was causing her to become frustrated with sexual desire.

"It's easy to see in your eyes what you want with him." Mina hissed at her, glaring at him when he still refused to look away. "We came here invited and-"

"And I found something I didn't think to find ever." Selene murmured, shocking both of her guard. "Tonight, I will sleep alone. The two of you will sleep in the room across from mine."

Mina was aghast. "You mean to welcome him into your bed? You mean to-"

"What I do is my concern." Selene looked back at him, found his blue eyes seeming to be asking her a question. "What I do, I do willingly."

At dinner she went with her guard to the dining hall, finding him waiting. She was a bit surprised to find him pacing the room, but didn't mention it when he stopped to move forward and take her hand. He led her to a seat, scooting it back in for her when she was seated.

Once the food had been brought in and set on the table before them, he sat back with his glass of wine in his hand, swirling the dark fluid as she delicately ate her meal. "Your the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." he whispered, completely captivated by her beauty.

She stopped eating and smiled at him, flattered by the honest statement. "Thank you." she was quiet a moment. "I must say, I've never seen a more handsome man, but your seriousness does frighten me. Do you smile?"

He stopped swirling the wine, stared at her, then began to laugh. "I think that's the most honest thing anyone has ever said to me. Not even Endymion would ever-" he cut off, frowning suddenly and staring down into his wine.

The air between them was heavy with guilt, guilt that they could desire one another with such ferocity when the one they had each loved had died not so long ago. "I remember him now as the man I once loved." she whispered to him, watching his eyes lift slowly to meet hers. "But he is only a memory. I have to move on with my life. I cannot stay trapped in the past for the rest of my life."

He knew the truth in those words, but Endymion had been his brother, his other half. "I miss him."

She reached out, covered his hand with hers. That simple touch sent a hot current of desire over them, so much she snatched her hand away and stood, backing away from the table as he shot to his feet, his chair crashing back with the force with which he had stood. Lust bubbled up and into her throat, but fear came with it. When he began advancing on her, she squealed and turning, ran from the room.

He stood there alone, cursing his stupidity, cursing the fact that he could desire his brother's fiancé.

But his brother wasn't there anymore.

Endymion had been dead for four years now, four long years of loneliness for him and he was sure for Selene as well. Even though there had not been much turmoil in the galaxy for the past years, he knew that the two of them had deliberately avoided one another, deliberately spoken through messengers to avoid seeing Endymion in each other.

He trudged upstairs to his room, going inside and running a frustrated hand through his hair. Perhaps they had had the right idea in avoiding one another. Perhaps they should have kept there distance, at least until one of them had married.

That thought made him wonder. If Endymion had lived, if he had met Selene four years ago, would he still feel this raging desire for her inside him? Would he still want her more then anything he had ever wanted in his entire life? Would he have felt everything he was feeling now, then as well?

The thoughts burned his tired brain and he wasn't even sure what the answer could be. There was no way of knowing how they would have felt such a long time ago. What mattered was how they felt now.

Pacing his room, angry with himself and his out of control hormones, he walked out to his balcony, standing under the moonlight and staring up at the dark sky. Closing his eyes, he let the cool air wash over him, let it calm his insides. And just as he felt himself evening out, he opened his eyes and looked to his right, finding Selene stepping out onto her balcony several feet from his, wearing a thin, cream colored robe over her exquisite body.

The passion came back, so sharp he could almost feel it clawing at his back. Staggered, but curious to watch, he stood quietly, not disturbing her.

She did the same as he had, staring up at the Moon with a sort of wistfulness in her eyes. Her silvery hair shone like glass under the Moon, her blue eyes two pools of blazing sapphires. Her small hand came up and clutched the robe tightly about herself and he watched her shiver delicately, watched her eyes falter and dart over to him, as if she felt his intense gaze. And as there eyes met, time seemed to stand still.

Staring at her, into her, he felt something warm spreading over him, something soft and gentle coming from his heart and enveloping him. Admiring her there, under the soft light from the Moon, he fell in love.

Her eyes were huge as she stared at him, as she stood watching him. He read something in her eyes, but couldn't make it out. Hoping it was acceptance, he took a step forward, but stopped himself. Swearing violently, he turned and stalked back into his room, shutting his terrace doors with a snap.

He couldn't do this to his brother, he just couldn't. Endymion had loved her with everything he could give, everything he had. He could still remember the joy that had come across his brother's face, the love and longing that had filled his voice when he had spoken of her. She had been so much to him.

Cursing violently, he reminded himself that Endymion was no longer among them. He had mourned his memory for years, how much longer would he? Would he give up a woman who made him feel more then anyone else ever had for his dead brother?

When the night grew warm, he stripped off his shirt, kicking off his shoes. Leaving his black trousers on, he paced the room silently, thoughts running riot in his head as he argued with his mind and heart in what to do. Without his realizing it, time ticked by, so much that before he knew it it was past one, the palace quiet now except for the soft steps of the night guards patrolling outside.

Because he had never given himself luxurious, never allowed it to himself before, he marched from and left his room, padding down the large hallway of the palace toward the room he had placed her in. His mind set and determined, he made it to the double doors of her room, standing outside quietly, debating with himself whether or not to enter.

Taking a deep breath and praying she wouldn't screech at the sight of him, he quietly opened one door, stepping in and shutting it behind him with a soft click. She had left the curtains to the balcony open and the light from the Moon shone in, preventing the room from being pitched in darkness. It occurred to him then that her guard might be with her, as was custom. When the Queen went on visits to foreign planets her guard always slept in the room with her, ready for any type of danger that might come.

As the thought crossed, his eyes surveyed the room, his body tense for an attack that might come at any moment. Studying his surroundings, he realized her guard were not with her. She was alone.

Amazed at his luck, he walked across the room to her large, four post bed, the filmy, see through white curtains drawn around it. He watched her lying there, her silvery hair spread out around her like a soft cloud, her pale skin gleaming under the light from the Moon, her body covered by a single sheet from the bed. She was naked beneath.

Just as the thought struck, his body roared to life, his hands clenching into fists at his sides to restrain himself from simply reaching out and grabbing her. He wouldn't frighten her. She was fragile, soft as nothing had ever been in his life. This he would treat with the utmost care.

When he was sure his control was in place, sure he wouldn't grab her and ravish, she opened her eyes, looking up at him calmly as if she had known he was there.

Her eyes, the swirling blue of them, captivated him, caused his insides to melt as nothing ever had. As if in slow motion he watched her sit up, watched her hold the thin sheet against her naked torso, watched her reach out with her free hand and draw back the see through curtain. Breath held, he watched her small hand curl around his large one, and felt her tug him gently in.

Taking the initiative, he climbed in and on top of her as she let the sheet drop and revealed her beautiful, perfect breasts to his view. As he lowered onto her, as her back touched the mattress and her arms came up to twine about his neck, he felt those exquisite breasts touch the hardness of his chest, felt the small nipples graze him and cause desire to rage through him.

With his eyes on hers he lowered his lips to hers, halting when her fingers curled into his hair and held. "I was hoping you'd come." She whispered before raising her lips to his.

That statement alone was enough to drive him wild, but he calmed himself, pressed his lips to hers and enjoyed the sensation of becoming familiar with her texture and taste. He made sure to keep one of his hands on her waist, his thumb rolling lazy circles around the sensitive flesh, while his other large hand cupped one of those perfect breasts and massaged it gently. When she gasped at his touch he took the advantage and slid his tongue into her mouth, took the kiss deeper as his hand palmed her breast, his thumb flicking across the hardened, tiny tip, her legs opening and creating a cradle for his body to sink into.

It came to him in his aroused state that his large body fit perfectly against hers, as if they had been made to fit one another.

Drawing his lips from hers, he gazed down at her, at the half closed blue eyes, at the parted lips that now panted out uneven breaths as he continued to squeeze her breast. Enjoying her distress, he pressed his hips into hers so she could feel his desire for her, felt her own small hips arch against him. Smiling, he lowered and began kissing her neck, working his tongue to her ear, where he took the small lobe between his teeth and pulled. Licking it gently, he continued his pursuit and worked his way down until he made it to her free breast, where he ran the tip of his tongue torturously around the nipple.

"Ares..." she groaned, arching against him, "please..."

"Please what?" he asked, his voice low and almost growling as he slowly ran his tongue across the nipple over and over.

"Oh God..."her hands were clutching his hair, pulling as he continued his sweet torture. "Oh...oooooh..."

Deciding he'd waited long enough, he clamped his lips over the small nub and drew her into his mouth, sucking fiercely, hungrily. With a small cry she released his hair and dug her hands into the mattress, her hips arching off the bed and lifting him with her.

"Sweet little one." He murmured, taking the nipple between his teeth and pulling. "I've been waiting for you."

Releasing her other breast from his hand, he slid his way down her flat stomach, to the hot, aching center between her thighs. Before she could comprehend what he was doing, he had cupped her golden mound and slid a finger in, testing the wetness, the tightness there. She could only gasp and open for him, panting heavily as his hand and mouth worked magic over her body.

He'd never thought of sex as making love before, never bothered to consider it could be a gentle, sweet act and not the fast, animal urge he had always looked at it as. The other women he'd had had known his game, had been aware what he wanted and how he wanted it. They'd known not to get ideas on becoming the new Queen of Earth because he would never marry. He'd long since decided marriage wasn't for him. He'd even decided that the first male Endymion and Selene produced he would name his heir.

Perhaps things would change now, he mused as he stroked his finger inside her, licked delicately at her breast. He'd never felt this way before, never loved anything or anyone, except his brother.

When he rose, when he positioned himself and thrust inside, his mind went blank for a moment as her hips froze beneath his.

She was a virgin.

He could feel her tightening her inner muscles around him, had heard her sharp cry of pain and watched now as she shut her eyes tight and bit her lip. Amazed, completely taken back, he bent and kissed her, kissed her until she was once again languid beneath him.

When he pulled back she gazed up at him, her blue eyes soft. "I didn't know." he whispered to her, his meaning clear.

She smiled, reached a hand up to stroke his cheek. "Now you do." she murmured back.

After another moment of kissing her and stroking her breasts, he began to move, slowly, letting her become accustomed to him. When she began to gasp, when her nails clawed at his back and urged him on, he picked up the pace, slipping his hand beneath her buttocks and lifting her closer to him.

He couldn't see anything but her, couldn't breathe anything but her scent. It was as if the world had faded away and only the two of them existed, had always existed for this one moment, this one time.

The two of them were the most powerful beings in the universe, although others thought she wasn't. She was too delicate to be and that was what her guard was for after all. But she had no need for her guard, could protect herself against anything or anyone. And as there bodies grew hotter, as there mating grew more passionate, a aura was being released by them, an invincible aura of immense strength and mysterious power.

Panting and straining, teeth clenched, they plunged together.

::

Mina and Lita sat awake in the room across from Selene's, unable to sleep after the huge surge of power they'd both felt. They'd known what it had come from, and each wondered what to believe now. There Queen had been pure, a virgin, even untouched by Endymion.

Now she had been taken by the most notorious man in the universe.

"What now?" Mina mumbled, Lita turning to look at her. "He's taken her. She belongs to him."

"Why do you say that?"

Mina gave Lita a look. "No two people could ever release such energy together. They did it, it came from them. It's a sign, you know that."

Lita nodded. "Yea I know." and it worried her, that unlimited power they'd felt. "I never thought it would happen with him. I thought it would have been Endymion."

They were both silent a moment. "Perhaps it would have happened with Endymion, if he had lived."

"Perhaps." Lita walked to the balcony they had in there room, looked up at the stars and thought of her home, Jupiter. "This worries me. It worried me with Endymion, it worries me now with his brother as well."

Mina frowned, went to stand next to her. "What are you talking about?"

"Haven't you ever wandered who Selene's father was?"

Mina blinked. "I...thought about it, but never too much." she shrugged. "She was the Queens daughter, that's always been enough for me." she watched Lita's expression, felt dread niggling at the back of her mind. "What is it?"

Lita ran a hand through her wild hair, blew out a breath. "My mother told me stories about the former King of Earth, Nemesis, before she died. She described him like...like Ares. Tall, dark, dangerous, extremely handsome. He had a way with him that every woman within a twenty mile radius was drawn too." she rubbed a hand over her eyes. "It was rumored that he fathered Selene, but no one ever knew for sure."

"But...how? That's not possible, they never met before the Millennium War."

"That's not true. Not too many people know, but my mother told me stories. Stories on the both of them. She was Queen Serenity's guard, just like your mother was, like Amy and Raye's were. When they were young at least. Then they all married, had all of us, and went there separate ways. Queen Serenity no longer needed them and she also wanted them to have there own lives." she took a deep breath, remembered her mother's words to her in the last days before she had died. She had wanted Lita to understand just who she would be protecting, and also what might come. "He went to the Moon on an unexpected visit. My mother, all of our mothers, they were captivated with him. She said that the moment they all saw him they fell in love with him, that they couldn't help but. He was the most gorgeous man they had ever seen."

"They fought over him constantly in the first days he was there. Queen Serenity had been away on visits to one of the Outer planets, so he stayed and waited for her return. During that time they argued over him, even though he didn't pay attention to any of them. My mother said it was almost as if he had been there on a mission, something he'd been planning for sometime. He was...restless. He preferred to be alone then in there company." she ran her hand over the stone railing of the balcony, wandering if her own mother had ever stood here, in this place. "Then the Queen came back and he changed. One look at her and he was speechless. My mother said he acted like a young boy with his first love, stumbling over words with her, always wanting to please her."

"And the Queen? How did she react to him?" Mina whispered, wondering why her own mother had never told her any of this before passing on.

"My mother said she acted indifferent toward him, but they all knew she desired him. Not love, but desire. She said there was a great difference between the two." Lita shrugged. "I have yet to understand what that means, but its what she said. But anyway, nothing happened while he was there. None of them ever found out why he had even gone to see her and the Queen never told them either. They were friends and when they asked why he had come, she told them she didn't want to speak of it. She was different after. Something had changed in her."

"Time passed and lives changed. Our mothers all met there husbands, married them, and left to go home to there own planets. After that my mother wasn't sure what happened between the Queen and Nemesis, but she said she was aware that he visited her again. You, Raye, Amy, and I had already been born, all of us were a couple of months old when he went to the Moon again. He was there for two days before he returned to Earth." Lita shut her eyes a moment. "Selene was born nine months later."

Mina could feel horror filling her. If what Lita's mother had said was true, then that meant..."Oh God, no. That can't be. If that's true then...there...there..."

"Their half brother and sister." Lita finished for her. "Yes, I know. But what can we do? They've already...been together. And even if it hadn't been him, it would have been Endymion."

"But THIS. Lita, we have to tell her." Mina started for the door but was brought up short by Lita's restraining hand.

"No. We don't know if the story my mother told me was true. She was...delirious her last days." and it hurt to remember, much less accuse her of anything. "She might not have known what she was saying."

Mina weighed Lita's words, knowing how much it cost her friend to say it. "There's only one way to find out."

"How?"

"Raye. Her mother is the only one left."

::

She was sleeping, her eyes closed softly, her body naked and sprawled across his chest. He brought his hand up and touched her silvery hair, fingering it, wondering at the color. She was so beautiful it took his breath away, made his heart lodge into his throat. He wondered if she would always have that affect on him.

With that thought came the reminder that he had taken her virginity. She had been untouched by even his brother. Even though he knew it was wrong, he was glad Endymion had never touched her. This possessive side of him surprised him, but he couldn't help it. He loved her. He had never loved another woman in his life.

He ran his hand down her naked back, felt her stir beneath his touch. "Ssshhh, go back to sleep." he whispered to her.

She lifted her head and smiled at him through eyes heavy with sleep and sated desire. "I think I'd rather stay awake."

He grinned, something he had rarely done in his life. "I bet." he ran his hand around and cupped her breast, watched her eyes flutter and her breath hitch. "Your soft." he observed, rolling her over and beneath him.

"And your hard." she smoothed her hands up his muscled arms, gasped when he pressed his hips into hers. "Really hard." she managed.

He laughed out loud, kissing her hard. "God I love you." Immediately horrified, he froze above her, then rolled from her and got out of bed, striding to the balcony and outside.

He stood leaning against the railing, uncaring to his naked state, listening as she joined him moments later, tying her robe on as she stopped next to him. "Does the thought horrify you that much?" she whispered, hurt.

He turned to look at her, surprised. "No. Not in the way you mean at least." taking a deep breath, he turned to her. "I've never loved another woman before in my life. I've never felt so strong for anything or anyone."

She lowered her eyes because she couldn't look at him and say the same. She had loved his brother with all her heart, with all her being. When he had died, she was sure she would have died with him if she hadn't had so many responsibilities. His loss had ripped at her heart.

And now she stood here, with his brother. This was something she never would have thought to happen, never would have planned in any way. But it had and she wasn't going to deny it to herself.

She reached out and took his hand, bringing it up to rub against her cheek. "I never thought I would feel this way again." she looked up at him, saw the hope there. "But I'm glad I do."

Hearing her say it lifted a heavy weight from his chest, but also made him think if what she felt for him was less then what she had felt for his brother. "You don't know how happy it makes me to hear you say that." he drew her to him, held her and rested his cheek against her hair.

She wrapped her arms around his waist. "I also want you to know that what I feel for you is so different then what I felt for Endymion." she felt him stiffen and wondered what could have caused it. "Ares-"

He was already pushing her away, his face rigid. "It's all right. I don't need an explanation."

"Yes you do. I want you to understand that-"

"No!" his shout cut her off, had her eyes widening, than narrowing when he turned his back on her. "I don't need to hear that you'll always love him more and that I'm the substitute brother."

Angry and insulted he would say that, much less think it, she stepped forward and slapped a hand on his arm, watching him turn to her with raised brows. "If you'll let me speak then I'll tell you what I wanted to say." her voice was cool, enough to make him curious to listen and forget his jealousy and hurt. "What I meant was that what I felt with Endymion was unique and I did love your brother." she waited a moment, knowing this moment would change her life. "But it pales in comparison to the love I feel for you."

He couldn't believe what he was hearing, what she had just said. He'd hoped to have her love, but never dreamed she would give him this much. "Selene...I...I didn't-"

She raised a delicate brow, eyeing him. "Didn't what?"

Not saying a word, he grabbed her and kissed her with such a fierceness and intensity she felt her heart constricting with all the love and desire she felt. Riding on that, she threw her arms around his neck and laughing, kissed him back.

::

Mina and Lita stood waiting at the bottom of the stairs the next morning, waiting impatiently for Selene to come downstairs for breakfast. It was already nearing noon and she hadn't appeared. Mina was worried still about all the things Lita had told her the night before, but Lita remained calm, standing still while Mina paced.

Hearing noise coming from the front of the palace, they both turned toward it and found Ares striding in, his four Generals right behind him. He saw them and scowled deeply. "You haven't disturbed her, have you?" he lashed out at them.

Mina opened her mouth to snap back, but Lita cut her off. "No, we haven't. We've been waiting for her to come downstairs, but she seems to be extremely tired." her meaning was clear.

Ares didn't even blink. "I go to get her." he left them there.

Mina glared at his retreating back, not noticing Ares' head General, a tall, handsome man with white hair and deep blue eyes eyeing her, moving closer. "You have a dislike for his majesty?" he asked, startling her.

She turned to him, blinked a moment at how gorgeous he was, how well built and absolutely male. "What I feel is none of your concern." she retorted, her mouth going dry when she saw those blue eyes making a slow survey of her body, lingering on her breasts. Between protecting her Queen and being head Guard to Selene's troops, she'd hardly had time for men in her life. Oh she'd had her share of lovers, but no man as handsome as this one had ever come across her. "What? Do I have dirt on my face?" she snapped when his blue eyes remained steadily on her face.

A prickly one, Malachite concluded. But the most beautiful, prickly woman he'd ever seen. Granted, she wasn't as beautiful as her Queen, but then, what woman was? "No, no dirt." he grinned at her, deliberately enflaming her anger. "I assume you are her majesties head General?"

A ripple of pride moved over her and she turned more fully toward him. "Yes I am. Mina, Head General to her majesty the Queen's troops, and Leader of Venus." she extended her hand to him.

Leader of Venus, he mused with some awe. That was impressive. There were only two ruling superpowers in this universe, the Queen of the Moon and the King of Earth. All others paled in comparison to there extraordinary strength. "Malachite, Head General to his Majesty the Kings troops, Guardian to the Northern regions of Earth." taking her hand, he bent over it and kissed it, amused when her eyes flamed with anger.

She snatched her hand from his, disgusted he would do such a thing. She had offered her hand in belief to there mutual strengths, not for the sake of his idiot desire. The last thing she would ever do was become involved with one of Ares' guard. Just as her lip curled, Lita interrupted what she could see would be a fine show of temper.

"I'm Lita, Guard to her Majesty the Queen and Leader of Jupiter." she didn't offer her hand, but merely nodded to Malachite, then turned to the other three men, all extremely large in build, but not as much as there King. They were handsome, but the one closest to her was exceptional, with his deep chestnut hair and his sharp green eyes. She could feel his gaze on her, considering her as much as Malachite had been and was still considering Mina.

"It's a pleasure." the gorgeous man spoke, taking another step closer to her. "I am Nephlite, this is Zoisite and Jedeite. We serve under Malachite."

Mina was still brimming with anger, especially since Malachite continued to grin at her. "_What_ are you looking at?" she felt her anger rise when his grin widened.

"I thought you would know. Someone as beautiful as you, that is." amazed when she didn't so much as blink at his compliment, he watched her turn toward the stairs, grabbed her arm when she started forward. "Where are you going?" the seductive note had dropped and was now serious.

She jerked her arm, fuming when he didn't release it. "Not that it's any of your concern, but I'm going to get my Queen."

He shook his head, his blue eyes deadly serious. "His majesty went to get her. Do not disturb what is between them."

"Between them? Between them! There is _nothing_-"

"You felt the surge of power last night, just as I did." he said it quietly, carefully, watching her eyes widen, feeling Lita's own surprise. "You know, just as I do, that there bound, body and soul."

"Shut up." she whispered it, not willing to believe it. "Just shut up. You don't know, you don't-"

Lita placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her. "Lets go Mina." her eyes cut across Malachite, to the other three, lingering a moment on Nephlite. "Come on." she took her by the arm and led her away.

Malachite watched them walk away, the two powerful guard, one so beautiful, yet so openly defiant. "There intriguing women, aren't they?" Nephlite said from behind him.

Malachite nodded slowly, smiling a bit when Mina glanced over her shoulder and shot him one, sharp glare before they disappeared around a corner. "Very intriguing." turning to them, he clapped a hand on Nephlite's shoulder. "But intriguing or not, we must keep close watch on them. Ares has given us our orders and we obey them."

::

He found her sleeping, her breath fanning out softly, her hand curled into the sheet that was draped just under her shoulder. She looked stunning even in sleep, like beauty sleeping. It amazed him, humbled him, to know she had allowed him into her bed.

He sat next to her and touched her shoulder, studying how his large, dark hand compared to her white, delicate skin. When he bent to press his lips to her shoulder, she stretched, sighed out his name. "Morning." he murmured, watching her eyes flutter and gaze warmly into his. "You look beautiful. All heavy eyed and drowsy from sleep."

"Hhmm, thank you." she pushed her hair away from her face, sat up and held the sheet to her. "What time is it?"

"Almost noon." he watched, delighted with the horrified look that came across her face. "Sleep well?"

"Almost noon? Almost _noon_! And you didn't wake me!" she jumped from the bed, the room whirling for a moment before she found herself flat on her back, pinned beneath him. "Ares!"

"I want to play." he nuzzled her neck, kissed the hollow of her throat.

Even as she felt the quick ripple of response, she bucked beneath him, blew her hair out of her eyes when he merely lifted his head to grin down at her. "Get off me. God, I can't believe you didn't wake me!" she pushed at his shoulders with her hands.

"You were tired. I wore you out last night."

Sputtering now, she shoved him hard, almost sighing when she felt his hand cruise along her bare thigh and up. "Stop. Don't! Let me-," when his mouth covered hers, when he tore the sheet from her and took her, she could do nothing but give.

::

She found Mina and Lita in the gardens, Mina pacing as always, muttering under her breath, Lita standing by. Lita's cool calm was the reason she usually paired the two of them. It was also why she paired Raye and Amy. Raye and Mina had explosive anger, and an almost violent, possessive nature to watch over her. Lita and Amy were always the one to lend there patience, there calm. It kept a balance between them.

She would need that balance now, she thought as Mina turned to face her, her entire being radiating rage.

"You let him touch you. You let him-"

"Mina, stop." Lita cut her off sharply, ignored her when she hissed at her. "Selene, do you realize what you've done?"

"I've given myself to him." she said it calmly, prepared for the shouting to come.

"And you say it so calmly? How can you! He is Nemesis' son! Do you forget Nemesis loved war, loved chaos and destruction?" Mina spat.

"I recall him coming to my mother's aide when she needed him."

That statement caused Mina to pale, reminding her of everything Lita had told her in the night. Before Selene could look at her and see the horror, she'd turned away, her hand over her face.

Lita glanced at Mina, glad she'd had enough sense to shut her mouth. For once. "Selene, do you know what happened last night?" she held up her hand when she began to speak. "Not the physical, but the spiritual."

She frowned. "I don't know what you mean."

"You are unaware that you and the King released an enormous amount of power?" at Selene's blank look, she shook her head. "I should have known. The first time, at the moment of release, the two of you joined strength, joined power, and it blasted from you, so large and potent, I'm sure any man or woman with the knowledge of it felt it."

She stared at Lita's face, seeing the truth there. "He and I? But that's not possible, that's not-"

"You are the most powerful beings in this universe. It does make sense."

She knew Lita was right, but this...she had never thought..."I had no idea." she managed.

"I thought as much." Lita cocked a brow at Mina, watching as she whirled, ready to once again do battle.

"If you can fully realize what that means, then you know you must end it!" Mina said furiously, gripping Selene's arms. "Cut it now, before it's too late!"

She shut her eyes tight a moment, against the sheer shock of what they'd just told her. "I...I don't know what to do."

Mina shook her, had her eyes snapping open. "Its too dangerous, HE'S too dangerous! You know that!"

"I need to think." tearing away from Mina's grip, she walked some feet away, to where the roses bloomed, there soft fragrance filling her, soothing her. "I want to be with him." she whispered.

"Your bodies desire's can't rule over your common sense." Mina said, aghast.

"It's not my body that cries for him!" she half shouted, turning to them. "It's this!" she thumped a hand over her heart. "It's inside. I won't deny it was my body that first burned for him, but now it's more. I with him."

Lita remembered what her mother had told her and knew that they would have to speed up there plan of speaking to Raye's mother. She could see that the relationship between these two was going to take an extremely sharp turn. "I'm glad you feel that way." and she was. "Just please make sure you think through what your going to do."

"How can I think when all I can do is feel? He makes me forget everything around me, all my responsibilities." blowing out a long breath, she closed her eyes and calmed herself. "I understand your concern, but...I need to think."

"I believe we'll be staying here longer then we originally thought. "Lita said, watching as Selene nodded slowly. "That's fine. We'll leave you to your thoughts." gripping Mina by the arm, she dragged her away.

She looked at the roses once they'd gone, really looked at them, and the memory came back to her. A quiet afternoon, long ago.

She had been sitting in her own garden, amid her flowers, when he had come to her, wearing his black armor and looking exceptionally handsome. She'd been afraid, as she'd always been, that he came to say goodbye. But his smile had been easy, his eyes full of love as he bent on one knee before her and took her hand, kissing it reverently as he gazed up at her all the while.

It had been young love, young and new to them, but stronger then anything they'd ever felt. He'd leaned across her and snapped a rose from its stem, holding it up to her and making her sigh, taking it from him to inhale the soft scent.

His hand, so strong and so familiar, had curved around her cheek, his eyes gentle. "This rose, this time and place, this-"he took her free hand and put it to his chest, lay his own hand over hers, the steady beat of his heart felt by them both. "This warmth is my love, this passion my constancy." he released her hand and reached into his pocket, withdrawing a pearl, so beautiful and breathtaking she could only stare in awe. "This jewel I offer as a sacred promise to remain true to you, from this moment to my last breath."

She'd been overwhelmed by him, had watched as he opened her palm and placed the pearl there, closing her hand around it and sealing the promise with a kiss. As his lips had lingered over hers, his hand smoothing up her neck to slide into her hair, she'd believed with all her heart the promise would remain true, as he'd said.

But when he'd died he'd taken that promise with him, taken everything with him. He'd been her love, he'd been her heart. Everything they'd shared, every moment he'd given her, had ended in one split second.

It could still hurt, she realized, shutting her eyes against the tears that threatened. She hadn't allowed herself to shed any tears after the thousands, had closed them off or else she felt she would die with him. It had been almost four years since she'd cried for him, four years of forcing thoughts of him aside.

But she felt it now, as she struggled to keep them away, her eyes burning. Now, in his home, where the memory of the rose and that single afternoon flooded her. Reaching up, she touched the silver necklace she wore, fingered that pearl he had given her so long ago. She'd worn it every day since the moment he'd given it to her, held onto it and sobbed after his death. It was all she'd had left of him.

She sensed him coming, a trigger he pushed inside her. Composing herself, she waited for him to walk to her, waited for him to step in front of and face her.

And when she looked up at him she smiled, not allowing any of the misery she felt to show. "Hello."

He saw it in her eyes, hidden behind a guard she'd put up against him. It hurt to know she would want to block him out, but he would have patience. She barely knew him and he barely knew her. Trust would come. "What is it?" he stroked a hand down her hair, soothing.

She couldn't tell him what she felt. It would hurt him to remember and also to know she even thought of his brother. "It's Mina. She's angry about...what we did."

He felt anger clawing at his insides almost immediately, but kept himself calm for her. "And why should she care?"

There was an edge to his tone and she turned to look at him, but his expression was only mild curiosity. "She believes you are your father's son for a reason, that you love war and destruction as he did."

That was a reasonable argument, but it still made him angry. "I am my own person."

"And also because we-" she cut off, biting her lip and worrying on how exactly to phrase it.

"Because you gave yourself to me?"

"No! Well yes, it is that, but not entirely that." when he stared at her, she huffed out a breath. "Did you know, last night, the moment we both...we both..."

"Orgasmed?" he supplied, amused by her embarrassment. 

"Thank you for putting it so bluntly, but yes, that. The moment we did, we both seemed to merge power and release it. She says it was huge, that there sure most everyone in the universe felt it."

He let out a breath, smiled and kissed her cheek. "I know darling."

She stared at him in shock. "You _knew_!"

"Of course. You would have too, but I suppose I had you to busy to notice." he grinned when she flushed.

"I won't argue with that, but don't you realize what this means? We-"

"Are going to marry." when her eyes widened even more, he sighed, took her hands in his. "I love you. Those words have never come easy for me, even for my own brother. You do something to me Selene. From the first moment you have. You are everything."

She nodded, overwhelmed by him. "Are you always going to leave me speechless?"

"I hope not because I wouldn't want to deprive myself of your sweet voice."

She laughed, tucked her hand into his as they began to walk. "You don't know me so well yet. I have a terrible temper."

"Then I'm glad because it will take one to match mine." he chucked her chin, bent his head to brush his lips across hers. "How is it you came to me?"

"Fate." she sighed back, then grinned. "And luck. How was I supposed to ignore a man who looked ready to bow at my feet?"

"Bow! Me!" when she only laughed, he grabbed her into his arms and tickled her mercilessly, enjoying how her delightful little body writhed for him. "Now who looks ready to bow?"

"Stop." she gasped out, squealing with laughter when he only tickled her sides more fiercely. "Please. Stop...Ares..."

"Tell me I'm the best. Tell me you'll let me do whatever it is I want with you." he nuzzled her neck as he tickled.

"Fine...ok! Your the best!" when he didn't stop she struggled for breath. "Ok, ok. Whatever you want."

Releasing her, he dragged her up and kissed her before she could smack him, kissing her so hard and so long her head was spinning. When his lips gentled, when his hands cruised along her waist and up to her breasts, she slid her arms around his neck, held on as he buried his face in her neck.

"I feel as if this is a dream." he said softly, kissing her throat. "I feel as if I'll wake any moment."

"If this is a dream, then it's the best I've ever had." she whispered back.

"I don't want this to be a dream. I don't want to lose you."

She ran her hands through his hair. "Sshh, your not. You never will."

::

Later that night, Mina and Lita joined hands alone in there room, closing there eyes and concentrating all there power on communicating with the other two senshi. They had to keep there power level low to make sure Selene wouldn't feel it, but also great enough to reach the others.

The moment there minds touched there's, Raye and Amy understood what they were attempting to do, although it confused them. They kept no secrets from there Queen, unless it was extremely important.

There, on Earth, when Raye and Amy had joined there own powers and communicated back, they materialized before there friends. They appeared as ghosts to Mina and Lita, but were there just the same.

"What is it? What's happened?" Raye asked urgently, worried.

"It's Selene. And Ares. They-"

"She gave herself to him!" Mina cut her off, emitting a sigh from Lita and two gasps of horror from the other Senshi. "Last night, did you two feel it?"

They knew without her telling them. "That power...it was them!" Raye shouted, already becoming riled.

"Yes, it was them. They've...there..."Mina was filled with too much horror and disgust to continue.

"This is good. Selene would never give herself to a man without love." Amy spoke calmly, her eyes meeting Lita's in agreement. 

"That's not all." when Mina would have spoken, Lita gave her one sharp glare to stop her. "There's more and I need you two to listen closely."

She told them the story her mother had told them, watched fear and disgust fill them at what it could mean. When she was done the room was quiet, before Raye filled it with the volume of her voice.

"You need to get her and come back, now!" Raye's face was red with her outrage. "Bring her back, get her away from him! Don't you realize what this means! What they could be to one another!"

"Raye, will you shut up! You need to listen to me!" taking a breath, Lita went on. "It won't be that easy because she's fallen in love with him, deeply fallen in love with him."

"Like Endymion?" Amy whispered, dreading the answer.

"Maybe more then when she was with Endymion. And him...the King is a powerful man, but also a lonely one. There's no possible way he would ever let her go now." Lita took a breath. "Raye, you and Amy need to go and speak with your mother on this. She's the only one left from Queen Serenity's guard, the only one that could know. We cannot stop them from doing anything without some sort of proof."

"Oh we'll go speak to her all right. We'll leave tonight." when Amy opened her mouth to protest, Raye slid her one long glare. "We're going tonight Amy. We can't afford to not speak to her. She's..."pain crossed her face now, "she's dying. She doesn't have long left."

"All the more reason to leave immediately." Mina spoke, pushing her rage aside to give orders. Selene had chosen her as the head of her guard for a reason, after all. "We have to keep in touch. Next time we need to communicate with each other, we give each other warning so as not to alarm Selene to what were doing. She doesn't need to know unless we HAVE to tell her. Understood?"

Raye and Amy nodded in agreement. "You two have to keep an extra eye on her."

"We will. Good luck Amy, Raye. Keep safe." with that said, Mina broke the connection.

"Will there be enough time for us?" Lita asked her.

Mina shook her head. "I don't know. I-"she cut off, whirling on the darkness of the room and drawing her sword from her side, Lita immediately doing the same, each with there back to each other so as to guard one another. "Do you feel it?" she whispered to her, turning slowly with Lita, eyeing the dark.

Lita nodded. "Yea. I feel it." she lifted her sword higher.

Because they'd been using there energy and attention on communicating with Amy and Raye and keeping there power hidden from Selene, they'd let there guard down to any other possible danger. The moment they'd broken the connection, they'd felt it, like a rippling over there skin, like a darkness filling there mind and warning them.

Mina raised her sword, cleared her mind and searched the dark. She saw in her mind's eye, them standing by the balcony, where the shadows hid them. Maneuvering herself toward it, she pointed her sword at them, felt there surprise. "I see you, son of a bitch. Get out here or do you want me to come after you?" her meaning was clear as her sword glinted in the moonlight.

Malachite stepped out, his white hair catching the light from the Moon, his blue eyes dark and focused on Mina. "That was very impressive. I've never known anyone except his majesty to be able to-"he cut off, raising a brow when Mina advanced on him, bringing the tip of her sword to right beneath his chin. "Problem?"

"You bet your ass there is." she smiled now, slow and with malice. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't rip you open."

"Mina, calm down." Lita had resheathed her sword as soon as she'd seen him, now stood watching the exchange.

Malachite gave her a charming smile, despite the blade at his throat. "Just one reason?"

"One good one."

"Because you find me irresistible?" at her answering snarl he moved fast, whipping his hand up and gripping the sword handle just above her hands, holding it still. "Still think you can rip me open?"

Mina let out a scream of outrage, surprising him when she released the sword and gave him a swift kick to the head, knocking him down. The pain was so great and so unexpected he let go of the sword, watching through the pain in his head as she snatched it up while it was still in the air, swishing it quickly in her grip and pointed it down at his neck once again, her legs spread on either side of his hips.

Despite the pain, his body reacted to her, his eyes on the long gorgeous legs before him.

"Try that again." she dared, teeth clenched.

He kicked her legs out from under her, rolling on top of her as she fell onto the ground, his own large body covering hers. "Tried." he winked down at her.

Lita sighed and decided to let them wrestle. It was obvious that even though Malachite was in pain, he was enjoying it immensely. As for Mina, she thrived when in a fight. It was why she had trained her body so hard.

Mina bucked her hips under his, wrapped her legs around his waist. She felt his arousal pressed against the soft flesh of her stomach and decided to use that desire against him. Thrusting herself into him, she watched his eyes darken, focus on her and his hands released her wrists, coming down to mold her breasts.

Even as her body responded to him, she brought her elbow up and hit him on the side of the head, taking his shout of pain as a chance to force his body from hers, rolling and at the same time removing the dagger she had hidden in her boot, until she was on top of him. Even as he reached up to grab her, she was pressing the dagger into his throat, smiled thinly when he froze and his eyes sharpened on anger instead of lust this time.

He had given her a fair fight, she thought with some satisfaction. He had underestimated her, as all men did, and been shocked when she retaliated. Usually she had men flat on there backs after that first kick, but he had come back. It pleased her to know he wasn't such a weakling, that he was indeed Ares' head General for a reason.

He could read her smugness and it pissed him off only because he had let her get the upper hand at his own lapse in control. The moment she'd arched into him, his mind had gone blank and he'd acted on animal instinct.

Perhaps the same could work on her.

She was straddling him, her center pressed intimately into his although she didn't seem to notice as she kept her eyes on him. He arched up ever so slightly, but when she didn't even blink he frowned.

"I have trained my body not to rule over my mind. Try that again and I'll slit you." she warned, although sweat had broken out on the small of her back.

"That was impressive Malachite, I have to give it you. I've never seen any man or woman that could up against Mina that long." Lita had been thinking during there scuffle, decided perhaps keeping Mina on him while they questioned him was best. "Now we need to know what it is you heard."

"Nothing." he lied, swallowing when Mina pressed the blade deeper.

"Don't lie." she hissed down at him. "What did you hear?"

"Nothing." he kept his eyes on hers, made sure she didn't see how much he wanted to glance into the darkness. "I swear. I came hoping to get you into bed." he knew he was likely to lose his life for that, but he needed to stall.

Her eyes flashed with rage, but her grip on the blade didn't waver. He felt admiration stir at the immense control she had. "I should kill you for that." she spit on him instead. "But you're not worth my blade."

"Hey, just telling the truth. How about we make use of-"he cut off, watching her eyes widen, but she didn't so much as glance away from him for a second. He knew she felt it just as they approached. "Lita, behind you."

But he'd already grabbed her, had his own sword to Lita's neck as they rounded so that Mina could see. "Get off him and I let her go." Nephlite said, hating that he had to do this to her.

"There's no need for that." Lita gripped his arm and flung him over her shoulder, snatching his sword from him and bringing it against his throat as he lay there, blinking. "You were saying?"

Malachite shut his eyes and cursed. He had thought he would only need Nephlite with him for this. Obviously he'd underestimated these women's ability to fight.

"What did you hear?" Mina asked sharply. "Tell me now!"

"Everything." Malachite snapped back. "Everything."

"And what are you going to do about it?" Mina asked carefully, the edge in her voice evident.

Malachite and Nephlite slid glances at one another. "It wasn't what we were expecting to hear actually." he said truthfully. "It's making us re-think our own situation."

"Which is?" Mina pressed.

God, what a woman, he thought. Gorgeous and with enough fire to match his. He could see why Selene had chosen her to lead her guard. She was brilliant.

"We were ordered to keep an eye on the two of you. Ares feels your threats to him and the Queen. Now we see your only trying to find the truth for her sake, if not his." Malachite explained, waiting tensely for her response.

Mina stared at him hard, than stood, resheathing the dagger back into her boot. She nodded to Lita and she released Nephlite as well. "This information must remain within these walls. If either of them finds out, I'll kill the both of you." Mina said in a pleasant voice, although her eyes were glittering with warning. "You've been warned."

"I hate admitting this, but your plan is the best course to take." Malachite said as he stood, rubbing his throat. "So for now we'll keep our mouths shut." when she only stared at him he decided he should get her back for basically kicking his ass. "Want me to rub your back for you sugar?"

Her face turned red. "Maybe you should just go rub your ass." her meaning and insult was clear as she turned and left the room, Lita following.

He blew out a breath, rubbed at his heart. "Point taken. She's something, isn't she?" already half in love, he didn't realize his expression was foolish.

"Yea. Both of them are."

The Planet Mars

Raye stalked down the huge halls of her home, Amy close behind her. It had been two days since they had communicated with Lita and Mina and during that time they had prepared there things, left late during the night, and taken a shuttle to her home. The flight had been long and boring for them, while Amy had read and calculated, Raye had paced and cursed. Amy had told her to calm herself and have a nap, but Raye had merely hissed at her and continued her pacing.

She came to a stop before the huge double doors to her mothers room, standing for a second and taking a deep breath. She hadn't seen her mother for months, and before she had been somewhat healthy, but still sick. During that time she had kept communication with her as much as she could, learning over time that her mother was dying and had little life left in her.

Amy put a hand on her shoulder and she shook herself, finding the courage to finally open the doors quietly and walk in.

Her mother lay in bed, her long, dark hair spread around her, her face pale and her eyes closed. She seemed to be asleep, but the moment Raye and Amy walked in she opened her eyes, smiling at her daughter and holding out a hand. Shaken, Raye went to her and took her hand, sitting down on the side of the bed with her.

"I knew you were coming." her mother spoke quietly, her eyes gentle. "I could feel it. Your mother hasn't lost all her powers yet."

Raye gripped her hand and pressed it to her cheek. "Your more powerful then I'll ever be Mama."

The leader of Mars shook her head. "No, it's your time now Raye. But that's not why your here." she began to cough, terrifying Raye into jumping to her feet.

"I'll get someone. I'll be right back." she moved to go, but her mother grabbed her hand and held on.

"No, don't. I'm beyond help." she tugged until Raye sat back down reluctantly. "You've come for something. The both of you." she looked at Amy, who stood back with tears in her eyes. "How are you, Amy?"

"Very well." she said in a voice filled with sorrow.

"I'm glad. Now, are you two going to tell me what it is you came for?"

Raye hated making her remember times long past, but she had come with a mission. "We need to know about Serenity and Nemesis."

Her mother blinked, stared, then let out a long sigh. "I wondered if this day would come."

Amy stepped forward. "Could you tell us everything you know? Anything you remember?"

She nodded, sat up with Raye's help. "I'll tell you everything." she took a breath and a moment to lean back against her pillows. "Serenity was happy in her single life. She was very happy for the first thousands of years, content to have men come to court and pursue her." she smiled, remembering those times. "We were all like sisters. We were her Guard, but also her friends. We had several happy years together."

"One day, Serenity left to Neptune to visit its leader. The first day she was gone he arrived." she was quiet a moment, remembering the commotion his arrival had caused. "He was...magnificent. All of us were captivated by him, enchanted, and immediately in love. Nemesis had a way with him, a way that made any woman want him so much and so blindly, you could see nothing but him. We fought over him, fought bitterly and constantly. Who could have him, who did he actually want, who loved him more." she shook her head. "But during our quarreling, none of us realized he didn't want any of us, that he didn't want anything to do with us. He completely ignored us, wandered the Moon on his own and stayed away from everyone."

"Why was he there?" Raye asked.

"We never knew. I asked him that once, when I was attempting to seduce him, and he only snarled at me and walked on. He was gorgeous, but dangerous. There was something evil in him, in his heart. It surrounded him, almost like a black shield." her voice drifted for a moment, her eyes staring into space, but Raye squeezed her hand, bringing her back to the present time. "He was a mystery to us, which only added to the appeal. When Serenity finally arrived home, we all ran to her, all told her who was waiting for her. She listened to us sigh over him, listened to us begin to argue once again who he would belong to, when he stepped out of the shadows and they saw one another for the first time."

She took a moment to press a hand to heart, to shut her eyes and let out a deep sigh, the memory of it coming back to her. "It was...magic." she decided. "Like magic. Two powers, two hearts meeting finally. Time seemed to stand still."

When she remained silent, Amy spoke up. "They fell in love."

The older woman looked up at Amy, smiled softly and nodded. "Yes, they fell in love. Fell in love deeply, which was a surprise to us and also a blow to our pride. He was enchanted with her, treated her like glass, acted like a man insanely in love. It was a pleasure to us to see our Queen so enraptured as well, so obviously in love."

Raye felt no joy for the late Queen, only greasy sickness for her daughter. "I thought she didn't care for him."

"Oh she acted as if she didn't, but I could see how much she loved him. And also how much she desired him. Nothing happened that first visit, and we all wondered just why he had come to see her. He had no purpose, no motives. Only came, fell in love, and left days later with that love clouding his eyes."

Her smile brightened, as well as her eyes. "I met your father just weeks after that, blew into my life like a fierce wind, and into my heart. It was odd how things happened, but I met your father, and my friends met there husbands as well. It seemed...destined. But anyway, we met them, we fell in madly in love, finally accepting Nemesis wasn't for each one of us, and we married them. Serenity wished us all good luck and good fortune, and we left to our home planets."

When she said nothing else, Raye prompted her. "And after? What happened after?"

"He came back one year later. It made us all wonder why it took him one year and why he even bothered to return. He was a married man, with a wife and two sons. There love was destined to failure." she shook her head slowly. "But I know where there are love and passion, sense has no matter. He returned to the Moon, on a visit of ten days this time, then went home once again." she rubbed a hand over her aching chest. "Selene was born nine months later."

Amy could feel the dread she'd been carrying for the pass forty eight hours grow stronger. "Oh God."

"It was a joyous occasion for her, for everyone joined to the Silver Millennium. We came, met the new little Princess, introduced our own children to her, and celebrated the birth of an heir."

Raye stood, paced away from her mother. "Celebrated. Right."

She watched her daughter, frowned. "What is it Raye?"

"It's nothing." rubbing her temples, she forced herself to think, to find perhaps a hole in the story somewhere.

"Don't lie to me Raye. I know my daughter enough to know something is wrong." the girls father had had the same pride, fury, and devotion inside him as well, she remembered with fondness. And she'd always been able to read him like a book.

"Mama, its nothing, really. I just-"

"A crisis has occurred with the Queen, Selene." Amy cut in, ignoring Raye when she snarled and glared at her. "She went to Earth on a visit, to discuss relations and meet the new King." she was quiet a moment. "Selene and Ares have fallen in love."

She gasped, her dark eyes widening. "No...no, that can't be. Oh God, not again. Didn't this just happen with Endymion? Didn't we pass through the same horror then?" she asked more to herself then them.

Raye's dark eyes cut from Amy to her. "What? What does that mean?" leaping forward and gripping her mothers shoulders, she looked her in the eye. "You knew? You knew! Even years ago when Selene and Endymion had fallen in love, you knew!" she shook her once, her anger blinding her to her mothers gasping pain. "You never said anything, you never warned her!"

Amy moved forward and clapped a firm hand on Raye's shoulder, catching her attention. "Raye, let her go."

Realizing she was shaking her dying mother, she let her go, horrified with herself. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry Mama, oh God I'm sorry." falling to her knees and burying her face in her mothers lap, she blinked back the tears of shame that threatened to fall. "I wasn't thinking."

"No you weren't, but its all right. You were protecting your Queen." she stroked her hair, smiled down at her daughter. "You have a fierce devotion for her."

"It doesn't excuse what I did."

"No it doesn't, but it makes me proud to know I raised such a strong, loyal woman."

Amy watched them a moment, felt grief for her own mother who had died months before. "Raye, we need to speak with Lita and Mina."

Sniffling a bit, Raye nodded, stood. "You're right. Mama, thank you for telling us everything you knew."

"It was my pleasure. If you need-" she cut off abruptly, her body veering up as a slash of sharp pain ran through her. White hot and enough to have fear bubbling up inside her, she didn't see Raye panic.

"Oh God, Mama no! Don't! Shit, Amy stay with her!" she raced out of the room, shouting for help.

Amy took her hand, watched her eyes glaze with fear and pain. "Just hold on, please. Don't leave us."

She struggled through the red heat spreading through her torso, focused on Amy's calm face, faintly hearing Raye's frantic shouts for help. "You...need to..." she clutched her chest, wheezed in gulps of air. "Anna...speak...with...An-" cutting off, she felt a dark oblivion consuming her, creeping over her eyes and heart, pulling her deep and away from Amy's now frantic voice. She saw Raye's father waiting, handsome as he had always been, smiled and went to him.

And never woke.

::

Stay tuned for Chapter 2


	3. Chapter 2: The Union

**Author's Note:** I noticed this fic hasn't gotten too many reviews, which is sad since I think its Anyway, here's the next chapter, to those coming out very good. very few who actually reviewed and e-mailed for it, thank you and I hope you guys enjoy.

**Memories In Time**

By: SailorPerfect

Chapter 2: The Union

The Planet Earth

Mina watched Selene standing at her balcony, gazing outside to where Ares trained with his Generals, all of them sweating, their muscles straining as they sparred with one another. The expression in her smoky eyes was dreamy, her heavy lashes veiling her eyes as she watched the man who seemed to have taken over her heart so suddenly. She struggled for calm, struggled not to shout at what Selene had just informed them of.

"You cannot marry him," she said evenly, her voice trembling with the control she was issuing to suppress the need to shout.

Lita shot her a warning look, one look that had her snapping her mouth shut. "Are you sure this is what you want? You've known the man for only five days and already you wish to align yourself, your future and planet, to him."

Selene absently fingered the front of her gown, her eyes remaining riveted on his form. "This is what I want."

Mina marched forward, gripping her Queen's arm and whirling her around, unaware of how Ares suddenly turned and fixed her with a murderous glare. "You cannot marry him! You cannot! He-"

"Mina!" Lita said sharply, her voice hard enough to cut steel. "It is the Queen's right to marry whomever she chooses." She only prayed to the gods this choice would be the right one.

"But him!" Mina hissed, than her expression sobered, taking on a smug look as her grip tightened painfully around Selene's slender arm. "You cannot marry him, not without my permission. I am head of your Guard, your protector and council above all others. You MUST listen to me in this." None of them saw Ares throw down his sword almost violently and start for the palace, his Generals all halting in there sparring to watch him go. Malachite, quick to assess the situation, started after him.

Selene's attention was finally on her guard, her gaze on Mina's furious one. "You're right. I cannot marry him without your permission," she acknowledged quietly. "Will you grant it to me?"

"No." Mina answered swiftly and without hesitation. "I believe this union to be a mistake and therefore will not give you my consent."

Selene shut her eyes a moment, then opened them, shining with tears and pleading with her guard. "Please Mina. I love him. You know I could never marry him unless you granted it to me."

Mina's own heart twisted in remorse, but she couldn't back down. Not with what they believed the two of them to be to one another. "No. I am sorry, but I cannot."

"Mina, please-"

"NO!" she suddenly roared, her grip on Selene's arm turning painful enough to have the her crying out just as Ares burst into the room. "You cannot and _will not_ marry him!"

Ares advanced on Mina, his hand going for the dagger he had at his side, his face contorted in rage. Malachite came racing into the room just as Mina whirled on the King, her hand unsheathing the sword at her side and bringing it up swiftly to block the plunge of the dagger, the clash of steel echoing in the quiet room.

Mina's smirk was quick to come, her blue eyes glittering with challenge. "Do you think to kill me and rid yourself of the obstacle?"

Ares' own eyes were cold, violent and deadly. "I would kill you for bringing her one moment of pain."

Malachite brought a hand down on his King's arm at the same moment Lita placed one on Mina's. "Don't do this. She is head of Selene's guard. Killing her would pit Selene against you." Malachite warned softly.

Selene watched the scene take place before her, one of her hands going to cover her mouth in horror. "Oh God. Ares, please don't. Don't."

Ares' eyes slid to Selene's, taking in the horror and fear there before he backed off, resheathing the dagger at his side and turning to watch as Mina did the same. His eyes never left Selene's, but his attention was also focused on Mina and any sudden attack she might make.

"I wish to be left alone with Selene." He spoke calmly, but underneath was a hint of menace.

Mina stepped forward and between the couple. "No. Selene has much to discuss with us and this must be made private. She cannot marry without my consent and I have not given it."

His eyes whipped to hers, his body growing utterly still. "What?"

Lita let out a heavy sigh. "We apologize, your majesty, but it is a law that has been upheld on the Moon for centuries. Mina is her Head Guard, her advisor, almost like the replacement for Selene's mother. Mina must consent to Selene's choice before any union can be made."

Ares, horrified beyond belief, turned unbelieving eyes on Malachite. "Is this true?"

Malachite was silent a moment, his own gaze on Mina. "Yes." he finally confirmed softly. "It's true."

"But...I love her!" he shouted it at Mina, who held her ground. "Neither you nor anyone else will keep me from her!"

"Ares." Selene was pleading with him. "It is law, tradition. I could not go against the moons laws."

He stared at her a moment before speaking. "Fine. I only hope for the sake of her own life, she consents." With that threat made, he turned and strode from the room.

Mina smiled, a flashing smile that brought about the brilliance of her beauty. "A threat. Well, well. We will see about that."

Malachite's hand whipped forward and caught her arm, a tight grip that brought her abruptly up against the solid frame of his chest. "You are playing with fire," he warned softly, his nostrils flaring slightly at the scent of her, as a male scented its mate.

Her eyes went from amused to dark and menacing, filling with warning. "Let me go," she said quietly, the loathing for him evident in her voice.

He stared down at her mouth another moment before releasing her, turning and leaving the room. He shut the doors with a solid snap behind him, the women all remaining still once he'd gone.

Mina turned back to find Selene watching her with wide, curious eyes. "What?" she snapped.

"Mina, I do believe Ares' Head General lusts for you." Selene whispered, a slow smile coming to her lips.

"Him? Bah! The man can only think with what's between his legs!" Mina spat contemptuously, but her body was tingling from the heat his had given off to her. "And besides that, we have more important things to discuss."

Selene sobered at once. "Mina, I'm begging you. Please consent to this."

Mina was quiet, eyeing her Queen and the possibility of what news Raye and Amy had yet to bring her. "I will think on it. I cannot make any promises, but I will think of it."

Lita cleared her throat. "Perhaps it's a better idea that Selene goes to calm Ares." When both women turned questioning eyes on her, she nodded her head toward the courtyard below.

They turned to watch as Ares fought ruthlessly with his men, narrowly missing causing them extreme damage. It was obvious his men were struggling to get away from him without getting hurt.

Selene gasped. "I must go to him." Without thought to her own safety, she ran from the room.

Lita rolled her eyes when she heard Mina cracking her knuckles. "We must wait for word from Raye and Amy before passing judgment on their marriage."

The moment the words left her lips Mina felt a tremble in the air, a whispering in her mind, and knew they were attempting contact. "It's Raye, she has word. Come on, we have to go somewhere private."

They quickly left the room and went to the one they were staying in, shutting the doors and making sure that this time the room was empty. Once done, they joined hands and concentrated their energies on touching Raye and Amy's, strong enough to make contact, but low enough so as not to alert Selene.

The connection was made and Raye and Amy shimmered into an image before them, Raye's dark eyes filled with sorrow, Amy's with grief. "I'm sorry Raye." Mina said immediately, knowing already what had happened.

Raye shook her head. "She's with my father now. She's in no more pain."

"She confirmed our suspicions of Serenity and Nemesis." Amy informed for them.

Lita hissed out a breath as Mina nodded once. "Very well. I will deny the marriage and explain to her why once we've taken her back to the Moon."

Amy held up a hand abruptly. "Wait. She also told me...before she passed on, she said to speak to an Anna. Before it can be denied or even made, we must find this Anna and speak to her. She'll know something."

Lita frowned, deep in thought. "Anna...but who's Anna?"

"That's just part of the mystery." Amy replied in her quiet voice.

"You want me to hold off the wedding until we find this Anna?" Mina's anger rose swiftly and before Lita could calm her, the rise of power came with it, causing them to almost lose the connection and alert Selene. But Mina quickly controlled her powers, lowering the level she was emitting until it was a quiet glow.

"Please Mina." Amy pleaded. "Selene is our Queen and her safety is always utmost, but what of her happiness? She deserves to have it, especially after what happened with Endymion."

Mina's eyes cut over to Raye's dark one's. "And what do you think?"

Raye was silent a moment. "I agree, for once, with them."

Mina let out a deep sigh. "Fine. I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you Mina. Thank you." Amy smiled at her. "For now, let's separate again and find out about this. Anyone who goes by the name of Anna."

"All right. We'll see what we can do."

::

"What _right_ does she have to deny you to me!" Ares shouted as he prowled his chambers, Selene sitting in a chair by the fire crackling in the hearth, her expression calm. "I am King of this planet! I am more powerful then she could ever imagine and she-"

"Ares." Selene said his name only once, but the serenity in it had him halting. "Mina is my guardian. When my mother was killed in the Millennium Wars, Mina was almost like her replacement. But, other then that, it states in the laws of the Moon that in the absence of my mother, my Head Guard is to consent to my marriage."

"But _why_!" He ran his hands through his dark hair, frustrated. "Your not a child, your a Queen! She-"

"Its tradition." Selene cut in, still speaking calmly and precisely. "Please try to understand Ares."

"Understand? This!" He let out a growl that had her smiling despite his foul mood. "You ask for too much!"

"Ares, I love you. You know I do, but-"

"Then why don't we do it anyway? Damn them all to hell! You are a Queen by right and by power, as I am a King. We answer to no one and never will." He strode to her and knelt before her, taking her hands tightly in his. "Selene, I love you as I've never loved anyone in my life. I want you with me, bound to me completely, so no one may ever take you."

She reached out and cupped his cheek in her hand. "Ares, you worry too much that someone will take me. No one will. I love you and will always remain by your side."

He stood and turned his back to her, shutting his eyes tightly. He couldn't tell her this unease he'd had since she'd come to Earth, this feeling of immense power rising somewhere far, a vague tingling of warning. It had come to him on the night he'd held her, the night she'd given herself to him, the night they'd joined and released powers together. Almost as if their doing so had angered someone violently. How could he describe his need to make sure she became his for all eternity to her when he could barely describe it to himself?

She stood, distressed by the obvious sorrow in him, and stepped around him to stare up at his impassive face. "Ares, what is it? What aren't you telling me?"

His eyes, opaque and sharp, moved over her face in a slow caress. "I just want you to belong to me. What other way can I describe this need I have for you?"

Something in his eyes, in his manner, made her wonder, but what she saw utmost was the grief. "Ares, please don't do this to yourself. I just...I can't..." she bowed her head and shut her eyes at the thought that had come to her.

Why didn't she just marry him? She _was_ Queen of the Moon, Ares being the only other person in the universe equaling her power. She could see the reason why Mina would object, but wasn't it time she made her own decisions? She was no longer a child, had stopped being one the moment her mother had died. She deserved her happiness, her own LIFE.

Could it be she was using this law, this tradition as an excuse to prolong the union? Could it be that deep down, she still waited, still hoped Endymion might return? That he had never actually died, but only been...

Shaking herself of the thought, she looked back up at him, at the misery etched into his handsome face, and also the rage beneath he was attempting to conceal for her. He was a man who controlled power inside himself, a man who knew he could demand this of her, force her even if he wanted.

He was Nemesis' son, she thought inadvertently. A man who had been rumored to have immense evil inside him, immense hatred that he had put to use by means of war, of staking his claim on his own power. Could Ares have any of what his father had been inside him as well?

No, she refused to believe it. She was letting Mina's comments get to her and that wouldn't do. She had to remember he was his own person and was nothing like his father.

She made up her mind, in one reckless moment, the only she'd ever allowed herself in her life, she decided what she'd do. "All right Ares. We'll marry as soon as possible. With or without Mina's permission."

On a shout of laughter and joy, he swung her into his arms and kissed her.

::

Convincing Mina of this was another matter. Mina had powers that had been granted to her as the ruler of Venus and she'd used them well over the years. She'd become more powerful then her other guards, harnessing what she'd attained since birth inside her, measuring it and respecting it, as well as controlling it. If Selene made this announcement, this retaliation against her, Mina would also retaliate herself.

She only hoped Lita would be able to hold and calm her.

She had to do some lying of her own. She assured Ares she would wait for him to speak with Mina and Lita about her plans until he returned from the Southern regions of Earth. Problems had arose and he'd had to go out early that morning, but not before he told her to wait for him.

But even she knew she couldn't tell them when he was there. Mina would blow up, of that she was sure, and Ares' own temper would rise to match hers. The combination could start a war.

So she walked silently through the palace, sensing Mina and Lita outside in the gardens. She found them there conversing quietly, both there expressions pensive, there eyes troubled. She imagined it had to do with the fact that she wished to marry Ares and they were struggling to think of a way to prevent it.

She waited until they noticed her, both rising, Lita smiling, Mina measuring. She came to them, her own expression firm on what she would tell them. "I need to speak with both of you. It's important."

Mina noted the cool tone she used, but also the way her hands were gripping tightly together. Selene had always been able to control the emotions in her face, but never her hands. "And what do you need to speak with us about?"

Selene glanced quickly over her shoulder to make sure they were alone. "It's about Ares. Me and Ares." She suddenly straightened her shoulders, her little chin lifting. "I don't care about the law of the Moon, or that I need your permission to marry Ares. I _will_ marry him, as soon as the preparations have been made."

Mina didn't move, for once didn't speak or explode, and Lita watched in shock as the Head Guard regarded Selene in curiosity. "Selene, you know the laws. You cannot break them, no matter how much you love the man."

"I've always put everything before my wants for my people, my kingdom. But not this time. I love him!" she said fiercely, pressing her hand to her heart. "I love him more then anything and will not give him up. And since he and I have spoken, we will marry as soon as possible."

"You risk much." Mina said quietly, watching as Selene's eyes chilled a glacial blue.

"I risk nothing but your anger." Selene shot back, for once not attempting to calm her guard. "And I would risk even that for a lifetime of love with him."

Mina's own voice went from calm to hard steel, her eyes flashing. "And if I retaliate? If I take you from here?"

"Not even you could match me in power Mina."

It was Lita who turned to Selene with horror in her eyes and voice. "You would attack, actually _attack_ Mina?"

Selene couldn't believe she'd said that, but her own life was on the line. "If I was forced too." She swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat.

"Fine." Mina shrugged, her eyes going from hot to bored. "Marry him. I won't stop you, but nor will I approve. I hope you realize exactly what you're doing."

She couldn't believe Mina had given up so easily, but she wasn't about to lose this opportunity. Drawing herself up, she nodded to her guards. "All right. Well...thank you." Still a bit confused, she turned and left them.

Lita turned on her the moment Selene was gone. "Okay, what the hell is going on with you?"

Mina smiled easily at her. "I can hold my temper when I want too. Losing it wouldn't have helped, would it? What we need to do is find this Anna much sooner because even I can't stop Selene. If it comes to it, I believe she WOULD attack me to stop me. Not to hurt," she quickly added when Lita's eyes widened in horror, "just to warn. But, either way, she would."

"Should we tell Raye and Amy?"

"Later. We'll contact them later."

::

In the days following the official announcement of Selene and Ares' wedding, preparations were made hastily, guests arriving in great numbers. All were joyous, envious of the happy couple, and eager to celebrate the union of the two most powerful beings in the universe.

Raye and Amy were scoring the galaxy for any person by the name of Anna who could have a connection to Ares' father Nemesis, while Mina and Lita remained on Earth, protecting Selene and watching as she grew more excited, showing them the dress she'd had brought from the Moon, the dress her mother and all past generations of Serenity's had worn.

Lita grew more apprehensive, nervous as time passed and the wedding was only two days away. Mina, for once, was the calm one, watching as servants scurried about the palace, preparing the feast and decorations, guests milling about freely on the grounds. They had settled into remaining in the gardens, away from the noise and women who surrounded Selene daily, hoping for peace away from the chaos.

Mina stood with her arms crossed over her chest, her blonde hair blowing gently in the breeze, dressed in the clothes of the warriors of the Moon, an outfit of silver, black, and white. She'd had several dozens of guards come to Earth to help see to security, not trusting Malachite's men in doing the job themselves. Malachite had been amused, grinning at her as she directed her soldiers on where she wanted them stationed during the day and nights.

Lita was pacing, trying to relieve the tension in her muscles. The days were dwindling and soon Selene would be bound to her own half brother. Unless they found this woman Anna, they would have to allow her to marry him.

"Mina, _what_ are we going to do? Raye and Amy haven't found anything! There are two days left until the wedding!" She shouted it at the other woman, who merely cocked a slender brow in reply.

"I think you should calm yourself Lita. I'll need you thinking clearly for this."

"Are you actually going to allow this wedding to take place! She'll be marrying her own brother!"

"Lower your voice. We're not alone." Mina snapped it at her, turning just as Malachite and the other three Generals came striding over to them. They had kept there distance from one another, Mina always pulling Lita away from them when they came near. Malachite had watched them from a distance, by Ares' command, but more to admire Mina as she walked about the palace, her posture always straight and proud as she kept an eye on her Queen and the guests arriving.

As they neared Mina narrowed her eyes, the usually soft blue turning ice cold. "What do you want?"

Malachite raised a brow at her tone. "A word with you, my Lady."

She studied him, sweeping his tall, muscular form in a quick glance, hiding the admiration she held for how powerful his body was. "Very well. Lita, I won't be long."

She followed him, deeper into the maze that swept along the outer regions of the gardens. Once they were inside and alone, away from the noise, he turned back to her. "I want you to tell me if you've been able to find out the truth concerning my Lord and his Lady."

She tossed her long, blonde hair over her shoulder, pleased when his opaque eyes narrowed, his nostrils flaring. "If I have, it's none of your concern."

When she turned to go he reached out and gripped her arm, halting her. "It IS my concern. He is my King, my sovereign. I have sworn allegiance to him and also protection. He will be hurt immensely if the Queen is his...his half sister."

She measured him, looking deeply into his eyes and slipping past his guard and into his mind. She saw a deeply ingrained honor there, loyalty to his King, and the fear of having his Lord and friend hurt over the first woman he had ever loved. She pushed deeper, but stopped when he put up a sudden block against her, shutting her out.

The grip he had on her arm loosened, and when she blinked, she saw he was grinning down at her. "Curious? If you were, you could merely ask and I would be more then happy to tell you anything about me."

She jerked her arm from him, curling her lip. "I don't want to know anything about you! I was only searching for your motives."

"And I had heard the people of Venus were such a polite, kind sort. Yet here you are invading my thoughts." He titled his head, admiring the fire that had leapt into her eyes. "I can see you have a more passionate, rude nature."

"It's better to be rude and passionate then an idiot man like you." She snapped back.

He leaned down to her suddenly, his hands sliding about her waist and drawing her into him, shocking her so much she didn't fight him. "One day you will lie beneath me and you will cry out my name with a passion you will be unable to suppress. One day you will give yourself to me in every way, body and soul." He put his lips to her ear, felt the shudder that ran down the length of her. "One day you will love me above all else you hold dear."

She couldn't seem to push him away, couldn't seem to stop the hard, warm hands that were running up her back, one stopping and resting on the small of her back, the other tangling into her long hair. She couldn't stop him when he tilted her head, when his eyes met hers and he lowered to drink from the offering she was willingly giving him.

She felt his lips on hers, felt his tongue moving inside to touch hers, and moaned into him. Her arms, of their own accord, came up to wrap about his neck, to thrust into his hair and grip tightly, anchoring them both as the kiss deepened and his arms tightened even more about her.

His lips left hers, trailed along her cheek to her neck, then further down to part the shirt she wore, revealing the heaving swells of her breasts to his hungry gaze. She felt his tongue slide along her breasts, felt them rasp across a nipple and her knees buckled, his strong arms supporting her as he drew her into his mouth and suckled strongly, pulling and stroking her within the heat of his mouth.

He could hear her heavy breathing, could taste her like an addicting nectar in his mouth. Already desperate with passion, he suckled harder, savagely, imagining the hot core of her, the wetness and scent of her that called to him, the taste of her of there on his tongue. He couldn't stop himself as his hand moved down her body and cupped between her legs, one finger thrusting up and causing her to cry out against the sudden invasion.

"That's it." He murmured it, running his tongue torturously against her. "Give yourself to me."

It was his words, of claiming and conquering, that finally ripped through the red haze and into her mind. Suddenly horrified, she shoved at him, filling with rage when he refused to let her go.

"Let me go!" She hissed it at him, glancing about them and making sure no one had wandered into the maze. She realized he had led them into a secluded area, where no one would disturb them. "Bastard, let me go!"

"You want this." He nuzzled at her breast, soft and warm against his seeking mouth. "Don't deny it."

"My bodies desires do not rule over my mind." She bit back a groan when his tongue circled her nipple. "Stop it! I swear if you don't I'll-"

"You don't need to resort to threats." Reluctantly he straightened and fixed her clothes himself, covering her enticing breasts to his view. "I can wait a bit longer for you to realize how much you need me."

"I don't need you." Glaring at him, she paced to the maze's edge, then stopped. "I would appreciate if you kept this...incident, to yourself."

He nodded. "I will. What passes between us is our business alone." When she opened her mouth to snap at him, he held up a hand. "Calm yourself. I really do need to know if you were able to attain any information on what I asked you before."

She bristled, but kept the anger back. "No, we have not." 

He studied her, suddenly intent. "And you will allow this wedding if you still haven't found any information?"

"I have to. It is my Queen's choice and even though our laws say the contrary, I must let her. She won't tolerate any interference on my part in this." She smoothed her shirt, where his hands had left her tingling. "Is this interrogation over?"

"It is. I have other things I must attend too." He walked to her, taking her by the arm and leading her from the maze." Her majesty, the Queen mother, arrives today."

Her brows raised in surprise. "And where has she been?"

"She doesn't wish to live in the palace. She never has." At Mina's confused look, he let out a heavy sigh. "Ever since her sons were five years old she's lived out in the country, on the other side of Earth. She used to keep the twins with her for half the year, then send them back to there father for the rest of the year. It was an arrangement they had. Until the King died, that is."

What an odd way of living, Mina thought briefly, not saying another word as he led her back to where Lita and his Generals waited. His hands slid from her arm to her butt and quickly squeezed before anyone saw, winking at her when she jumped and leaving her alone, his Generals following.

Flushed with both anger and desire, she turned to Lita. "I thought the Queen of Earth was dead."

Lita frowned. "Isn't she?"

"Apparently not. She's arriving today." she quickly told Lita what information Malachite had given her. "I want to be there when she arrives."

"Why?"

"I want to see this woman." She couldn't explain why it was so important.

At noon they hurried to the front of the palace, where Ares and Malachite both stood on the stone steps as a carriage came up. Slowly came to a halt before them and a footman rushed forward to open the doors. Ares moved forward and held out his hand, another smaller hand placing itself into his before the small figure of a woman emerged from the carriage.

She had the eyes of her son's, as blue as the sky, and as deep as the ocean depths. But her hair was a deep golden blonde, shining and catching the sun's light as she smiled up at her son, reaching a hand up to caress his cheek.

"Where's Selene?" Lita whispered to her as they watched Ares take his mother's hand and kiss it.

Mina glanced about quickly, not seeing there Queen anywhere. "She's not here." She was quiet, taking in that bit of information. "She doesn't know. Ares hasn't told her his mother's arriving today."

"Why wouldn't he?" Lita shook her head. "That doesn't make sense."

"I don't know. I think-" she halted when Ares turned, his mother's hand in the crook of his arm, his eyes, lethal and hard, cutting over to them as if he had known they were there the entire time. She felt his gaze, relentless and cunning, as he led his mother up the steps of the palace and inside, away from them.

"He really hates us Mina." Lita said it softly, bothered by the intense hatred she had seen in his eyes.

"There's something wrong with him. He must have gotten it from his father." Mina paced away, back into the deeper recesses of the palace, Lita following close behind. "It just doesn't make sense. How could they share the same father? Selene is so different, so pure and right. And him..."

"I'm not sure Mina. We can only hope that Raye and Amy will find something soon."

::

Ares led his mother into Selene's room, where she stood speaking with four women from neighboring planets, all of them laughing softly with one another. The moment he entered the room they quieted, all eyes flying to him. He could feel the women's desire, could see in there eyes the intent lust they had for him. Insulted they would feel this way right before his betrothed, he ordered them out, his tone and face harsh as they quickly made there exit.

When he looked at Selene he immediately softened, his eyes warming as he went to her and took her hand in his, bringing it up against his chest to rest over his heart. "My love, I have someone I want you to meet."

Selene looked past him, at the woman who stood gazing at her, the same eyes as her future husbands. "Is this...?"

"My mother." Ares turned and grinned proudly, bringing Selene with him so the group stood close together. "Mother, I want you to meet the Queen Selenity, my future wife."

"She's exquisite Ares." The smaller woman stepped forward, her hand extended. "Much more beautiful then even her mother was."

"Thank you, your majesty." Selene was trying to hide her confusion and shock. She had been under the impression that the Queen of Earth was dead, as no one had heard or spoken of her for several years.

"Please, call me Emma. You will be my daughter soon, after all." She turned to Ares. "Could you leave us alone, my dear? I would like to have a word with her alone."

He nodded, bending to Selene and kissing her tenderly, his eyes full of love. He left them alone, shutting the door behind him.

"Let's have a seat here." Emma motioned to the settee in the room, settling on it with her. "My, but you are beautiful. I'd heard that you surpassed your mother, but I had no idea."

Selene smiled. "Thank you. Did you know my mother?"

"We met once, long ago." She glanced away, obviously uncomfortable with speaking of the late Queen. "And you knew my late son, Endymion." She looked back at her, spotted the pearl hanging about her neck. "Oh...oh is that-"

"Yes." Selene reached up and touched it gently, watched as the older woman's eyes filled with tears. "He gave it to me."

"It was his treasure. I still remember the day he found it. I had taken he and his brother to the beach and they had gone swimming. They were excellent swimmers. Anyway, Endymion didn't return for quite sometime. Ares and I grew worried, and just when I was about to send Ares to go find him, he came out of the ocean." She pointed to the pearl. "He'd found it. He said it was his treasure, his to keep until he found a greater treasure for himself. When he found a greater one, he told me, he would give it to them and that person would belong to him for all time."

The story was endearing, brought on a wave of sorrow and joy, but at the same time unease. She remembered the moment he had given it to her, remembered the way his blue eyes had glowed, how they had turned fiercely possessive as he watched her.

"I'm sorry. I brought back painful memories, didn't I?" Emma reached out and clasped Selene's hand tightly. "Would you...would you mind if I asked you a personal question?"

"Not at all."

Emma was silent, looking down at their joined hands. "Did you love my son? My Endymion?"

Selene had thought she meant to ask over Ares. It surprised her that there mother would want to know if she loved a son she had lost long ago. "I did. I loved him very much."

Emma let out a shuddering breath, covering her mouth with her free hand. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, it's just that...he loved you too. Adored you. He came to me and spoke of you so often. His eyes were filled with love, his entire being radiated his joy."

"I felt the same way for him." She could feel the tears coming, but held them back. Endymion represented her past, Ares her future. She couldn't continue to feel pain and suffering for a love she had lost. "But it's Ares who holds my heart now."

Emma's eyes whipped up to hers, shimmering with unshed tears as she studied the younger woman. "Yes, I see that. Ares...he resembles his father very much." She leaned forward, her expression serious, so intense Selene was surprised. "Once you are wed to him, you are bound. He will not release you, he will never let you go. If you ever attempt to escape him, he will find you and bring you back. Are you sure you wish to marry such a man?"

Selene couldn't believe her ears. Was everyone against there marriage? Did no one want her to marry Ares?

She stood and wrenched her hand from Emma's, backing away from her slowly. "Do you not want me to marry him either? Does no one! You are his mother! How can even you warn me away from him!"

Emma stood and approached her quickly, her eyes glancing uneasily toward the closed doors. "I only wish for your well being. I-"

"What about Ares' well being? What about his happiness, his love, his hopes for our future!"

"I'm sorry." Emma sighed deeply. "I'm sorry for upsetting you. I only wished...he has so much of his father in him. He-"

The doors were thrown open, Ares striding in and halting to look between his betrothed and his mother. His eyes settled on his mother, cool and calculating. "Is anything wrong?"

Emma drew herself up, smiled warmly at them both. "No, nothing. I'll leave you two then." She quickly made her escape, not looking back to glance at either of them.

Ares went to her, enveloping her in his arms. "What did she say to you?" His tone was cold.

Selene shook her head, not wanting to anger him more. "It doesn't matter. We had a nice conversation Ares, that's all."

His hand, big and dark, curved around her cheek and forced her gaze back to his. He studied her eyes for a moment, looking deeply, before bending his head and kissing her. She melted into him, surrendering to a love she had never thought to feel again.

He broke the kiss, breathing unevenly against her. "I love you." He covered her lips once again, holding her smaller body tightly against his. "By the gods, how I love you." He was kissing her brow tenderly, pressing his lips to her forehead. "Do you realize that you mean everything to me?"

She laughed softly, her arms wrapping about his neck, her lips moving to brush enticingly against his throat. She swirled her tongue there, felt his pulse jump, and laughed again. "Do you? How much?"

He allowed her exploration, enjoyed when she licked and nuzzled. "The world would have no light without you." He ran a hand down her silvery hair, stroking. "And I would murder any who dared to take you from me."

Her lips moved lower, to his chest, where she parted his shirt and kissed him softly, reveling in the steel of his muscles. "No one will Ares. Stop worrying, please."

He squeezed his eyes shut tight. "I can't help it. I love you Selene. I _need_ you. Without you I'm no longer whole, without you I would cease to exist. The gentleness in me would disappear, replaced with a murderous rage." He suddenly bent over her, his larger body protective, his face burying itself into her neck. "Don't leave me, my love. Please don't ever leave me."

Worried, she hugged him tightly, trying to reassure him. "Ares, you have to stop this. I _won't_ leave you! I never will. I love you and only you. There will never be another for me."

"And there will never be another for me."

::

The day of the wedding dawned bright and early, with the sun shining brilliantly onto Earth to celebrate this joyous union. The guests milled about the palace grounds excitedly, all of them heading for the chapel to where the ceremony would take place.

Selene stood in her room with her four guards. Raye and Amy had arrived during the night, informing Mina and Lita that they had been unable to find any information or this woman Anna. Raye, Amy, and Lita were all worried for their Queen, but Mina calmed them, telling them they couldn't breathe a word of what they knew until they knew that it was the absolute truth.

She wore her gown, the dress her own mother had never been able to wear. Her mother had never married, much to Selene's surprise and confusion, but she'd never questioned it. She'd loved her mother with all her heart.

"You look radiant Selene." Amy said quietly, all of them in awe of her beauty.

"I wish my mother were here." She sighed deeply, shutting her eyes for a moment. "I miss her more then ever on this day."

"She _is_ with you, standing beside you." Mina reassured. "Especially today."

Selene turned to them, went and stood with them. "I know how all of you feel about my marrying Ares. I know your all worried. But don't be. I love him, so much, as he loves me. We'll be happy together, I promise you guys."

Raye wiped at the tears in her eyes. "Everything's changing."

"It was meant too." Mina took Selene's hand. "I wish for you to be happy with him, I truly do."

Selene smiled, then laughed and hugged Mina hard. "You don't know how much it means for me to hear you say that."

There was a brief knock at the door, than Emma peeked her head inside. "Ladies? I'm sorry to interrupt, but its time."

They left the room, the four escorting Selene to the chapel, where everyone was seated and waited. Ares stood and the head of the chapel, his four Generals behind him, looking dark and handsome in his silver and black armor, his eyes landing on Selene and watching as she made her way to him.

And on that day, a union was made between the Earth and the Moon, a union of love and hope that all planets in the universe were witness to. It was a glorious day, a day of happiness and joy for all those who were there.

But it was the day a darkness was awakened, alerted to this union, and a hatred so black and evil was born in his heart. And taking up his sword and army of the dark, he made his way to Earth, intent on reclaiming the one woman he had sworn to love and keep above all others...

::

Stay tuned for chapter 


	4. Chapter 3: Dark Betrayals

**Author's Note:** I know I've taken my sweet time with adding the next chapter to this story, but here it is and I do apologize for the delay. I hope you guys enjoy what I have.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon, but I do take ownership for the concepts and ideas that went into the making of this story.

**Memories in Time**

By: SailorPerfect

Chapter 3: Dark Betrayals

The Planet Earth

She dreamt of him that night.

It had been years since she had dreamt of him, had seen him haunting her dreams with the exceptionally, brutally handsome face he'd always had. In the first months after his death she had been unable to help the visions that came to her, some memories of the times they had shared, others of the future she had hoped for them to have. But after months of constant heartache and pain, she had sworn to herself she would no longer remain in the past, therefore entrapping her heart to grow bitter and devoid of all emotion.

But this dream was different then any of the others had ever been. This was no memory, no hope for the future, but almost a direct vision to her, showing her what could be in this present time.

He was still as savagely handsome as she remembered, the eyes a glittering blue reflected off the waters of a planet she didn't recognize. She sensed something different in him here, sensed an emptiness that had not been there before. She felt emotions spiraling through him, felt bitter rage and fury, suspicions and lust, envy and a loathing so strong she was amazed at it.

His surroundings seemed to be a blur to her, an image she strained to see, but was unable to through the thick curtain of fog veiling her dreams. She only had a quick glimpse of an ocean, dark and powerful, of him standing alone staring up at the moon, his hands tucked deeply into the pockets of his trousers. His hair was longer then she remembered, wild and unruly, nearly reaching his shoulders, his eyes blazing beneath the moon's soft glow. His jaw was tensed, clenched almost brutally, his body held rigid with a restraint she recognized as anger.

She imagined her dreams showed her what he would have looked like if he had lived, what he would have appeared as in this present time. The sight of him, so familiar, yet not, sent a fierce wave of sorrow piercing through her heart. She accepted that even after four years it could still hurt her to remember and wish. It could still cause her pain and heartache.

The next instant she was shocked when he suddenly let out a distinctive roar, bellowing to the gleaming moon above, the rage he had been withholding pouring forth in one moment. His head was thrown back, his fists clenched tightly at his sides, the muscles in his neck straining at the force of his shout.

It was then she felt it, the slap of warning, the distinct rage of another coursing through her mind to ripple like silent waves along her body. It was his fury she felt, and the whisper of his deep baritone snarling inside her heart.

_You are mine, now and forever…….soon you will remember this…….._

Filled with terror and gasping for breath, Selene shot out of bed, clutching her racing heart, her chest heaving in her desperation. The silk sheets of the coverlet fell from her naked chest, her hands digging fiercely into the bed sheets.

Her eyes snapped to the open balcony doors, sought and locked onto her home planet, the moon. She saw the almost eerie glow it cast, shadows sliding beneath its presence. Casting one quick glance at her slumbering husband, Selenity slid carefully from the bed, wrapped herself in her robes, and walked outside.

The night was cool, a welcoming breeze whispering over her warm skin and easing her racing heart. Coming to a stop at the stone railing of the balcony, she brought her hands up and rested them there, studying the moon and distance beacons of other planets blinking across the vast skies.

It worried her, to have dreamt of him so vividly, but more importantly on her wedding night. This was the first night she and Ares had spent together as man and wife, and after falling into a deep sleep from his arduous love making, she had dreamt of his brother, her first love.

She wouldn't worry over it. She wouldn't consider what this could mean. She was a married woman now, was in love with Ares. He was the man she was with, he was the only man she would ever be with again.

With a heavy sigh, she turned and walked back into the room, going to her side of their bed, removing her robe, and settling back. Once she had relaxed back into place, she felt Ares shift beside her, felt him move slightly and was not at all surprised when his large frame roused to roll and blanket hers. Smiling and running her hands along his powerful arms, she closed her eyes in pure ecstasy as his lips descended to a taut nipple and began gently sucking.

His mouth was hot and moist, suckling her patiently, his tongue toying with the nipple in his mouth. Groaning and arching her back, she opened for him and welcomed him when he slid smoothly inside of her.

He moved against her slowly, thrusting back and forth, the muscles of his back and arms straining with the need to plunge. She saw his head lift from her breast, saw his eyes slide up from them to her own, and watched him as he stared down at her. His hips continued to move with deliberate slowness, the blue of his eyes turning a sudden fierce black. Dropping back to her other breast, he took her peak into his mouth once again and suckled her inside.

She shifted restlessly beneath him, wound her thighs about his plunging hips, shuddering with pleasure when one of his hands cupped her free breast and flicked the nipple, squeezing and molding her to fit into his palm.

It seemed to last an eternity, the erotic feel of his hands and mouth, of his body straining into hers. When the rush took over them both she floated on it, seemed to drift away and dreamily took moments to come back to herself.

When she finally did he was gazing down at her, one of his hands cupping her cheek, the other still holding possessively to her breast. The immense love she saw there melted her own heart, a sigh escaping when he bent and kissed her deeply.

"I love you Selene." He whispered this to her, nuzzling her neck and curling his massive frame about her smaller one.

She held him to her, stroking his dark hair in the aftermath of their love. "I love you too Ares." And she did. She could feel her love for him warming her insides and shining through her to him.

She felt his body relax against her, felt his breathing calm and even out after some time. She suspected he had fallen asleep, until she felt one of his hands slide along her flat belly. "Do you think we've made a child?" his tone was quiet, almost reverent as he stroked her smooth stomach.

She smiled, laying one of her hands over his. "I don't know. Would you like a baby?"

"Only with you." He let his palm rest there, one of his thighs wrapping about her own and drawing her more firmly to him. "I would protect you both with my life."

"I know you would Ares."

She grew drowsy, her eyes heavy and drooping after a time, her arms holding him comfortably to her. He was nuzzling her breast, one hand holding her close, the other remaining at her belly, moving in a soothing caress. Feeling sleep beckoning to her, she slid away from him and into the mists that were her dreams.

And saw _him_ again, except this time he was coming for her.

::

The next morning she awoke around noon, Ares already gone from their bed. Forcing her pleasantly sore body to rise, she washed and dressed, coming down the stairs in search of her senshi.

She found them in the gardens, Mina and Raye sparring furiously against one another, Lita relaxing in the shade of the tress, Amy sitting next to her reading a book. The moment she stepped into the gardens they all turned to her, and she was a little taken back by the mingle of curiosity and concern etched into each of their beautiful faces.

She realized then, quite suddenly, that each of them had a simple, but strong mind shield up, blocking each of their thoughts from being read. Normally they were able to push into one another's minds, but this block prevented Selene from being able to see what they could be hiding from her.

She didn't want to push the subject, as her marriage to Ares had only just taken place and the protest it had issued among them wouldn't do well in the present situation. Deciding she would press the matter later, she smoothed her gown and went forward to greet them.

"Good morning." Her voice was pleasant, her smile soft and radiant. All of them noted at once the slight shadows darkening her ivory complexion, showing she'd had a restless night. "I'm sorry I woke so late."

"We suspected you would." Mina spoke dryly, still panting from her sparring with Raye. She wiped the sweat trickling from her brow. "And you're husband?"

"I suppose he left to see to other matters." She couldn't quite prevent the sadness from tainting her voice. It was only the second day of their marriage and already he had disappeared.

"Shouldn't a new husband remain with his wife so soon after their marriage?" Raye spoke casually, but the intention of her words was clear.

"I'm sure the King had pressing matters to attend too." Amy quickly interjected, shooting both Mina and Raye hostile glares. "Did you sleep well, Selene?"

The question brought back the memory of her dreams, and she realized she needed to speak with someone over them. The guilt at dreaming of her husband's brother was twisting her insides painfully. "I slept fine. Amy, Lita, would you care to walk with me through the gardens?"

"Of course, Selene." Lita and Amy both rose, walking to her and following her as she led them away from the other indifferent senshi, who promptly continued their sparring.

She led them as far as she could from Mina and Raye, making sure to keep one eye trained on them when she stopped to face them. "My dreams were restless." She stated this simply, not bothering to circle the issue.

Amy frowned. "Why is that?"

"I'm not sure." She met both their concerned gazes. "I dreamt of Endymion last night."

Lita relaxed visibly, but Amy's stare grew more intense. "What did you see?"

"I saw him as clearly as I see you two now. I saw him as he would have been if he had lived." Her eyes grew clouded with sorrow. "I saw him and felt my heart break once again."

Lita placed a supportive arm about Selene's shoulders. "It's normal to feel this way. You've only just married, and to you're ex-finance's brother. It's natural to feel this guilt and-"

"It's not guilt!" Selene spoke fiercely, but subsided at Lita's wide eyed stare. "Well, I don't think it is. It's more then that. The dream seemed so _real_, so vivid. As if I truly was seeing him!"

Lita shook her head. "No Selene, Endymion is dead. He's been dead for four years."

"But there was no body." Amy reminded her, her brow creasing in a deep frown. "There wasn't even a sign of the space craft he took. No remains, no wreckage. We never knew if he truly did die, or if he simply………well, disappeared."

"Amy, you never spoke to me of this." Selene reached out and gripped her hands, holding tight. "Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"Because you knew. Everyone knew about it, it was just something that was never fully looked into or considered."

"No." Lita cut in sharply. "No, we searched for months, both the earth and the moon and nothing was ever found. Eight months Amy, and _nothing_ was found. He's dead. Don't give Selene these false hopes."

"I don't mean to give her false hopes, but the possibilities are there." Amy insisted, calm despite the fury taking over Lita's features. "What if her dreams are giving her warnings of what could be coming?" suddenly enlightened, Amy turned back to Selene. "What did you feel in this dream? Did he speak?"

"I felt his anger, his rage." Selene gazed at the distant shadow of the moon, remembering how he had been watching the skies. "So much fury, it frightened me. He was different then how he had once been. I felt this void inside of him, this emptiness, yet also a desire for something he gave up, something he lost." She turned and met Amy's eyes. "And he said he would be coming……..for me."

Amy studied her queen's troubled eyes, and saw both fear and hope. "And what does you're heart tell you?"

Selene frowned, recalled the dream, and felt her heart constrict. "I can't be sure."

Just as Lita was opening her mouth to respond, the sound of the King's arrival came to them and they all turned to watched Ares stride into the gardens followed by his Generals. He stopped for a split second, quickly scanned his surroundings, spotted his wife and made his way over to her.

"We must keep this between ourselves." Selene spoke desperately, not willing to allow her husband to hear of her dreams. She refused to let him know and be hurt by it. "Ares must not know."

"I agree." Amy nodded, Lita reluctantly complying. The two women took single steps back as Ares crossed the distance and came to his wife.

"I thought you would have slept longer." His dark eyes skimmed over the senshi in distrust, the dislike he held for them evident. "Did one of you wake her?" he shot the question at them, his tone edged with quiet fury.

Amy and Lita met his rage calmly, Amy quietly replying, "She only just awoke moments ago, your majesty. We wouldn't intrude on her rest the following day of her wedding."

Selene was a little taken back at the words Amy had delivered with the most calm, but also the most precision in hitting their target. She had deliberately pointed out he had left his wife on the morning of their first day as man and wife.

Ares' dark eyes went carefully blank, all emotion wiped from his features. His gaze cut over Amy in a quick accession, one hand suddenly reaching out and drawing his wife firmly to him.

"I wish to speak with the Queen alone." His declaration was delivered in a tone as hard as steel, his eyes sweeping from the two senshi before him to the other two who had halted their sparring to now approach the group. "Malachite, escort these women from my gardens." He felt Selene stiffen beside him, but tightened his grip in a warning to remain silent.

Malachite nodded and turned to the four women, his eyes drinking in the glorious sight of Mina, still panting and sweating from her fight. "Come, follow me please."

Mina and Raye looked as if they would protest, but Amy and Lita gripped them both by the arms and dragged them from the silent couple.

Selene didn't know what too feel. The dislike Ares felt for her senshi was obvious, and an emotion she would prefer he didn't feel. The fact that none of them trusted one another was unbearable for her, and she realized suddenly that the warring emotions would eventually split her in two.

But she then remembered Raye's words to her earlier, and Amy's as well. Why had Ares left her on the morning of their first day together? What could have been important enough for him to do such a thing?

Twisting out of his hold, she paced away from him to the outer edge's of the garden, rubbing her arms against the sudden blast of chilly air. "Ares, where did you go this morning?" she made sure to ask the question calmly.

He approached her, touched her arm in a gentle caress, and clenched his teeth when she drew slightly away. "Have your senshi been filling you're head with lies?"

She whirled to face him. "My senshi have pointed out what a love sick wife was too blind to even see."

He felt rage at her interfering guardians pulsing through him, but pushed the anger aside and focused on his wife instead. Her face was pale, her eyes wide and fixed on him, but he saw beyond the anger, and saw finally hurt. She felt he had abandoned her, felt he had taken what the body desire's and deserted her to return to his planet.

The love, the immense love he felt for her, poured forth and calmed the deep fury boiling through him. Stepping forward, he drew her into the warmth of his body, wrapping his arms tightly about her.

"I apologize for the pain I caused you, little one, but I had……..pressing matters to attend too." He couldn't tell her, just yet, the rise of power he had discovered, and the threat of war that could be coming swiftly to them. "Please accept my apology and know that I would never have left you alone unless the matter was of the utmost importance."

She couldn't remain angry with him. Clinging to him, she burrowed closer to his warmth, her cheek pressed to his chest. "You hurt me." The confession came out in a soft whisper.

He bent his dark head over hers, brushing a gentle kiss over her silvery hair. "I'm sorry. I love you, you know that." He kissed her temple, her cheeks, nuzzling her neck. "You mean everything to me."

"Yes, I do know." She angled her neck, giving him better access as he skimmed his lips over her tingling flesh. "Ares, I want to ask you something."

He pulled back to look down on her, studying her suddenly grave expression. "What is it?"

"What is it you don't like about my senshi?" she blurted it out before she could lose the confidence to ask.

He remained silent, making sure his expression remained carefully neutral. He couldn't tell her he saw them as nuisances, as threats to their union. He was well aware they had protested her joining with him, well aware they wished to take her from him at the first opportunity. He would never allow such a thing, but just the threat of them so nearby sent a fierce rage coursing through him.

He stroked his hands along her arms, soothing her fears with his touch. "I have nothing against you're senshi. They are excellent warriors and I actually feel I owe them for protecting you these many years before you came to me."

She studied him carefully, unsure. "Then why is it I feel such a hatred for them coming from you?"

He would have to remember she was no ordinary woman, that she was the Queen of the Moon and had her own power. "It is not hatred, merely jealousy." It wasn't a lie. He was a possessive man, and he didn't wish to share her with anyone, even her senshi. "Just the sight of you laughing with others makes me angry with jealousy."

Selene chewed on her bottom lip, worried. She knew he was a jealous man, but jealousy could easily lead to much stronger emotions and actions. "I can't help my relationship with them Ares."

He immediately enveloped her into his arms, stroking her back and kissing her gently. "It isn't you're fault. It's my own. What I feel is something I will have to work on, not you. Never believe for one moment that my anger is you're fault."

She glanced up at him, and relaxed when she saw the tender love in his eyes. Smiling, she hugged him close. "I do love you."

He felt his heart swell at her words, as it always did. He would never deserve her, but always fight fiercely to keep her at his side. "I know you do." His hand came up and cupped her cheek, his thumb feathering beneath her eye at the shadows there. "Perhaps you should take a nap. You're still tired."

She had to admit that she was. Ares had exhausted her the night before, carrying her body to the ultimate heights of passion, loving her well into the night and the next morning.

She leaned into him, allowed him to lead her from the gardens back toward their rooms. "It's sweet of you to worry for me Ares."

"And what else could I do? You're safety and happiness mean more to me then anything else does." He took her into the coolness of their rooms, leading her to the bed and placing her down upon it. "Now I want you to rest for another hour. I'll make sure to not let anyone disturb you."

She reached out and took his hand tightly in hers, smiling at him. "Will you be here when I awaken?" her eyes were growing weary, drooping with sleep.

He bent and kissed her gently. "I'll always remain with you Selene, no matter where you go."

Sighing softly, she drifted into a deep sleep with her hand held securely in his.

He watched her for a time, brushing a silvery strand of hair back from her cheek, skimming his hand along the softness of her body. She was the most exquisite thing that had ever belonged solely to him, and he would cherish and protect her for the rest of his life.

He recalled that morning briefly, the surge of power that had engulfed him, the strength of the hatred that had come with it. He had never felt such strong powers from anything, had never thought to feel a threat such as this one coming to them. Why had he been unable to detect it? Why had he been unable to see ahead of time what could be coming to them?

He sighed deeply, and gently ran his thumb along Selene's smooth cheek. In sleep she suddenly moaned, twisting away from his touch onto her side. He suspected she was tired and wished merely for rest and no contact. Bending to brush one tender kiss across her forehead, he rose and left her to sleep.

He stalked down the vast halls of his palace, toward the battlements where he knew Malachite had escorted her senshi too. Emerging from the cool shade of the palace and into the warm glow of the earth's sun, he found the group of warriors standing some feet away from one another, eyeing each other tensely.

When Raye and Mina spotted him they straightened, Lita and Amy remaining still and calm. He strode to them and faced them, not needing to turn to know his four Generals had followed and stood just behind him.

"It's time I told each of you how things will be here." He spoke harshly, his tone as sharp as the edge of a blade. "This is my planet, my home. Selene is my wife now, and belongs solely to me. She will not be needing any of you any longer."

He watched the impact of his words, watched Mina and Raye's expression's darken with fury, Lita and Amy both glancing quickly at one another. He sensed the shock of his own Generals, but would not relent. This was his decision and he would see it followed through.

"And how does Selene feel about this?" Mina asked it carefully, already poised for attack against him.

His gaze cut over to her, and she felt the direct impact of those cold, bleak eyes. "She will agree with my wish's."

"Oh she will, will she?" Raye whispered furiously. "You're not even planning on telling her, just on kicking us out of here before she realizes what's going on."

"She will see the sense in my decision." He stared at them another moment, then spoke with utter command. "Malachite, escort them to the waiting shuttle I had prepared for their departure. And do not return until they are off of my planet."

"You can't do this!" Amy gasped, watching with horror as several soldiers emerged from the palace and surrounded them.

His smile was thin. "Yes, I can." He watched them form a tight circle, watched them begin their own formation for a retaliation against them. And before any of them understood what could be occurring, he shoved into each of their minds and took immediate control, snatching their own powers from their hands and leaving them with nothing to defend themselves with.

They realized it immediately, the source of their power suddenly dormant, their bodies free of the strength's that came so naturally to them. "What have you done you bastard!" Mina shouted it at him, enraged because they had no means of defense now.

"You're powers will return to you the moment you are off of my planet. If you ever attempt to return with the hopes of taking Selene from me, I will take them again." He motioned to the soldiers around them, to his own Generals who had stepped before each woman. "Now will you go peacefully?"

Raye and Mina attempted to lunge forward, but were each caught by Malachite and Jedeite. "Bastard! Do you think Selene will live here in a cage, away from her home and us, for long? Do you think she will be able to last for long without the essence that gives her happiness and life?" Raye screamed at him, struggling against Jedeite.

His face darkened, his eyes narrowing. "She will because I will give her everything she needs." He turned to his Generals. "Take them to the shuttles and make sure they leave my planet." He turned his back on them.

"This isn't the last you'll see of us Ares!" Mina screeched at him. "We will come back, and when we do we'll take Selene with us!"

His fury mounted, his seething rage rising so quickly and with such force he was unable to stop the force of the attack that was launched from him and toward Mina. But Malachite sensed it and with Mina in his arms, whirled her away from the oncoming blow, taking the blazing heat of it into his back.

His soldiers were clearly horrified, all of them pausing momentarily, each of their eyes staring at him. His Generals turned to Malachite immediately, who grunted at the pain, faltered a moment, but kept his arms tight around Mina.

He couldn't remain there any longer or else his own actions would take on a life of their own. With one last contemptuous glance at the senshi, he turned and stalked away, disappearing back into the shadowed interior of the palace.

He went up to their rooms, glanced briefly at Selene to make sure she was in a deep sleep, then outside to the balcony in their rooms. He kept his gaze locked to the sight below, watching the women taken against their wills from the palace and vanishing toward the port where the space crafts were kept.

He felt no remorse in his heart, no guilt at having her companions taken from her and forced back to the Moon. He would always eliminate any threats to their marriage without the least bit of concern, and would always fight fiercely to keep her as his.

::

They had carriages brought to the front of the palace, hoping to give the senshi this convenience before having them taken from the planet. In immense pain, Malachite climbed into the waiting carriage with Mina held securely in his arms. He made sure to watch as the Generals each disappeared inside a carriage with the senshi they held, before closing the doors and allowing them to lurch forward.

Mina had stopped her struggles the moment she had realized that Ares had sent a blast of mortal peril meant for her, but Malachite had taken it. Confused with what to say or do, she remained silent for long moments, until she felt Malachite's arms tense against her.

"Let me see." She whispered, breaking out of his arms to sit back and force him to lean forward and show her the wound.

"I didn't know you cared." He said quietly, but obeyed, sighing when the burden of having to lean back with her in his arms eased the searing pain.

She saw the wound, ugly and raw, leaving a large portion of his back burned and scorched. Ares had done this. Ares had the power to do much more should he try. The horror that she was leaving her queen to such a man was more then she could bear.

In silence, she covered her face with her hands, the sorrow and terror of what was occurring finally hitting her full force. Ares was having them thrown from his planet, and with them gone Selene would have no one left with her to protect her from such a man. But what could they do? Even now she knew she was powerless to retaliate against him. He had taken each of their powers from them.

Malachite studied her as she remained away from him, her beautiful face covered. He knew she wasn't weeping. She wasn't a woman to weep or throw fits of tantrums like most he had known. The emotions that would come from her at a time like this would be guilt, fear, fury, and revenge. He knew because it was exactly how he would be feeling.

Favoring his back, he reached out and touched her hair gently, relieved when she didn't jerk away from him. He offered the only words he knew to offer. "I'm sorry Mina."

She wanted to throw his hand off, wanted to shrug the understanding she heard in his voice away, but couldn't. He was her last hope at a time like this, until she was able to contact the senshi of the outer system and tell them what had happened to their queen.

She lifted her eyes to his, met his gaze, and realized she wouldn't be seeing him anymore for some time. She didn't know how long it would take them to be able to return to save Selene, she didn't know how long it would take for them to find the other senshi. Her life seemed to be rapidly falling apart around her.

Pride and need warred against one another, until she finally launched herself into his arms, where he enveloped her close, his lips meeting hers in a kiss of desperate pain that she would be taken from him so soon after finding her.

"I can't." he spoke quietly, his mouth roving impatiently over her face, his arms holding her so tight she could barely breath. "I can't let you go."

"You don't have the power to go against him." She clung to him, and felt her heart waver with sorrow at the touch of the raw wounds on his back. "You have to promise me something."

His face was buried against her neck, his eyes tightly shut. "Anything." He knew they were drawing closer to the port, and knew that soon she would be gone.

"You must protect Selene for me." She skimmed her lips over his cheek, running her hands soothingly down his back. "I won't be here to see to her and she won't understand as easily as Ares believes. Please promise me you'll look out for her."

He was Ares' head General, commander to the armies of the earth, his allegiance sworn to his sovereign. A request such as this was one he would never make, would never comply too. But even he knew that love had never been a part of his life before, and that in losing Mina, many things would change.

Lifting his head, he covered her mouth with his, sinking into her for a moment before drawing back to whisper, "I swear to you that I will protect her with my life."

She hadn't wept when she had been torn from her queen, hadn't wept when her powers had been snatched from inside of her. But she couldn't stop the single tear that escaped and traveled silently down her cheek, shimmering in the quiet shade of the carriage.

Malachite was openly stunned. His thumb touched the tear reverently, and his eyes met hers. "You're crying for me." His voice was quiet with awe and disbelief.

She managed a smile through the pain flooding her heart. "And it will be the last time." She told him, allowing herself to be drawn to him, where he held her close even as the carriage came to a quiet halt.

His hold tightened suddenly, his voice desperate. "Let me come with you." It was madness, it was a betrayal of his king, but he couldn't let her go. He would turn his back on everything he'd ever held dear if it meant remaining with her.

Despite the temptation of the request, she shook her head firmly. "No. You must remain here and watch my queen. She'll be alone now and she won't have anyone until were able to return." She muffled his protest with her lips, and felt more tears burning at the back of her eyes. Determined to see this through, she tore herself away and emerged from the carriage.

Her senshi were already each waiting at the open shuttle doors, the three Generals standing close to them with heavy looks of remorse and pain. She realized that in a matter of days they had each found the men they were destined to be with, and that in a matter of minutes they would each be losing them already.

She slid her arm around Malachite's waist, aiding him to walk carefully to the waiting shuttle. His back was burning more with each passing moment, and he knew that if he didn't have a medical physician look at it soon, it could become mortal.

Mina studied each of her senshi carefully, than nodded once to them before turning back to Malachite. He was gazing at her, his dark eyes filled with pain not merely from the wound to his back.

"We will return." She spoke clearly to him, not at all concerned if the other Generals heard their exchange. "And when we do, Selene will come with us. I won't leave her to a man who could attack his own Generals and feel no guilt."

Malachite held her steady gaze a moment, than nodded abruptly. "I will protect her, I promise you that." His eyes softened suddenly, his hand coming up to gently cup her cheek. "Now you must promise me you'll return to me as well, my beautiful warrior."

The glow that came over Mina's face was a shock to her senshi, and they watched as she went willingly into Malachite's tight embrace. "I promise I will come back to you." She murmured it against his lips, before he silenced them both with his mouth.

Lita forced her from him after some time, and she followed her senshi into the waiting shuttle, turning back once to meet Malachite's dark gaze. She swore to herself she would return for her queen, and that she would also return to him. No matter what she had to do, no matter how long it took. She would never allow either of them to be taken definitively from her life.

Boarding the shuttle, the doors slid silently shut behind her.

::

He was touching her, running his hands in a gentle caress over her naked form, his mouth clinging hungrily to her breast. His touch was erotic, forbidden, but she couldn't bring herself to push him away, to tell him to stop even when she knew she should.

She felt his massive frame crowding hers, felt him pressing intimately against her, and arched her back when his tongue stroked her tender nipples. One of his knees came between her thighs, gently inserting itself to give him access, allowing him to probe at her slick entrance.

For one tense moment she struggled, she protested, but he lifted his head and her eyes met his, the savage desire and fiercely possessive love overshadowing her own denial. In one swift move, he entered her willing body, shoving inside to where she pulsed with life, and she shut her eyes with the excruciating pleasure that coursed through her.

His mouth was once again at her breast, one hand slipping beneath her bottom to lift her to meet his thrusts, his hips frenzied in their taking of her. She welcomed him, welcomed the feel of his powerful body sliding in and out of hers, welcomed the rise of passion that pulsed and throbbed, that drove all rational thought from her.

Her mouth was suckling his rock hard shoulder, her nails digging deeply into his taut back. She could hear his panting breath, could feel it warming her aching breasts, his hips plunging desperately against her. Dimly she saw his savage face rigid with his efforts, the tight muscles of his arms quivering with his powerful thrusts, his large, dominant body completely covering hers. She could see nothing but him, could taste nothing but him, as he enveloped her into a web of carnal lust and deceitful desire's. He took her with him above the stars, took her with him beyond reason and into madness, and destroyed her with the ruthless force of the orgasm that tore through her.

Her cry of completion was muffled by the muscles of his shoulder, her arms holding him tightly as he shuddered above her, as his broad, powerful back tightened, then strained toward that final obliterating release. She could feel his muscles go taut beneath her wandering hands, could feel his mouth leave her breast to move slowly along her throat, moving lazily against her jaw. His lips were just beside her ear, and she sighed contentedly as her body relaxed in the after math of their mating.

In the silence that followed he spoke, his voice rough and slightly quivering, edged with possessive passion as his heart hammered like a jack rabbit against his ribs. "He diminishes the protection to you even as I show what I will give you. Because of his arrogance and stupidity, the taking of you only becomes more easily accomplished for me."

Drowsy, drifting in a hazy, erotic fantasy, she turned her head and brushed her lips over his, one of her hands tangled in his dark hair. She sighed softly when he dipped his tongue between her parted lips, when he stroked a rough, callused hand against the inside of her thigh. Opening to him, she felt a shudder tremble through him when his fingers dipped inside her moist offering. "Do you still love me?" she asked it quietly, her hand sifting gently through his dark, wild hair, the other roaming down the taut, sweat dampened muscles of his back.

She felt him stiffen, felt him go utterly still, and waited as the silence ticked by. The only movement was the hand nestled deep inside her body, stroking at a steady rhythm designed to drive her mad. When he spoke at last, his tone had not changed. "You belong to me. You will always belong to me Selene."

She heard the fury coating his tone, and would have soothed him had his lips not covered hers in a kiss tasting of hunger and raw fury. His hands caged her slim hips between his hands, and she welcomed his hungry mouth even as she welcomed him slipping quietly inside of her.

::

She awoke to the night, to when the stars swam as brightly as shining beacons overhead, to when the moon glowed like a steady promise above the darkened sky. A small breeze swept through the open balcony doors of her room and she stretched languidly, rested and content.

But almost immediately she felt a strange sense of loss gripping her heart, a wrenching of something that was of absolute importance in her life. Rising quickly, she padded on bare feet to the balcony, and out into the cool, quiet night.

Her eyes surveyed the land surrounding her husbands palace, taking in the sight of the village of people that lived closely by their king. As she studied the shifting shadows before her, she realized her senshi had gone.

Even as she felt the loss, the immense pain to her heart at their leaving of her, her body suddenly tired, fatigue crowding her mind. She was sore, almost everywhere, but the throbbing between her thighs was what horrified her the most.

Her dreams……..dear God……..she remembered them now, remembered them with a vividness that astounded her. They had been _real_.

Her breasts were sore and pulsing from his suckling mouth, her thighs aching from his endless possession. She still remembered how she had welcomed him, how she had allowed him to take her, how she had begged him for more as he laughed quietly, teasing her expertly with his marauding tongue.

She faltered, her hands reaching forward to grip the stone balcony as she struggled to steady her racing heart. She began to tremble, violently, as the horror of what she had willingly done hit her like a cold slap to the face.

She had given herself to Endymion.

He was alive……..he had been alive all these years. But he was different now, the gentle nature he had once possessed gone. She could remember the anger in him, the fury, and the words he had whispered to her as she struggled to recover from the heights his body had brought to hers.

_"He diminishes the protection to you even as I show what I will give you. Because of his arrogance and stupidity, the taking of you only becomes more easily accomplished for me."_

Horribly ashamed, she wrapped her arms tightly about herself, closing her eyes briefly at her betrayal of her husband. In silence she stood, until she felt the ripple of a touch, of a hand gently stroking her hair.

Whirling about, she was met with quiet, with nothingness. Panting with fear, her eyes lingered on the darkening shadows, hoping to find some sign of an intruder and not what she suspected had truly touched her.

She heard it then, faint at first, growing louder and more taunting. It was his laughter, soft and sensuous, sending currents of desire racing through her blood. Even as she attempted to block it out, block _him_ out, she felt his mouth against hers, warm and pressing as if he were truly standing before her, and his hand roughly cupping what he had taken several times in her dreams.

She whimpered, unable to pull away. She felt his whisper slide like cool water over her quivering flesh.

_"Close you're eyes."_

She wanted to disobey, she wanted to tell him no, but found she could not. Her own weakness where he was concerned drowned out any protest, and she found her eyes drifting closed before she realized what was happening.

She saw him then, saw the room he had lured her too, saw the emptiness and bleak existence he lived by. It was a dark place, filled with evil and pain, with sorrow and bitterness. She wondered what could have trapped him in such a place.

He stood before her, and she saw him as she had seen him before. He had matured from boy to man, leaving the gentle youth he'd once had in the past. He represented a warrior now, a leader of men, with the black unruly hair, the dark brows that rested over opaque eyes. His cheekbones were as sharp as a dagger, hollowed out, his jaw roughed by the dark growth of beard. His lips were thinned into a straight line, but as she had assessed had curved slowly, bringing a ruthless smile to his incredibly savage face. She could see that he and Ares had both grown into the physical perfection that most men never met in their lifetimes.

He was dressed in complete black, his broad shoulders taut and defined, his arms rippling with strength and power. He lifted one brow, staring steadily at her. She had no idea how he could possibly bring them together when each of them was so far away from the other.

She spoke into the silence, keeping her voice even and calm. "Endymion."

He nodded once, taking a step closer to her. She could smell him, enticing and male, tempting her delicate senses. "Selenity." A dark hand reached up, tangling itself into the masses of silvery hair that cascaded down her back, and jerked her forward to him. "Did you enjoy our mating?"

She met his eyes steadily. "Did you enjoy tricking me into it?"

He threw his head back and let out a rich, appreciative laugh. "I did indeed Selene. I did indeed."

When he said nothing, merely stared at her, she grew restless. "This can't be happening. You're dead."

He lifted a dark brow. "Am I? Are you so sure?" with the hand still tangled in her hair, he brought the other to the small of her back, pressing her intimately to him. "Tell me if a dead person could do this." His lips took hers in a kiss that spoke of undeniable passion.

His tongue was in her mouth, his lips bruising and hungry, his body shoving itself into hers. He was much larger then he had once been, much stronger and rougher, but still familiar to her. That familiarity melted her heart, bringing her memories of a sweeter, softer time in her life when her love for him had flooded her heart and soul as nothing ever had.

He tore his mouth away, breathing hard, his eyes filled with fury. "Do you understand betrayal Selenity? Do you understand pain and hatred?" he shook her sharply, shocking a gasp out of her. "No you don't! You haven't lived what I've had to live!"

"I thought you were dead, Endymion." She said it quietly, despite the rage pouring from him in waves.

"I was." He smirked when her eyes met his. "I had nothing inside of me. That is, until my brother and my woman betrayed me yet again."

She gripped his arms desperately. "We thought you were dead!"

"Ares will wish I had been dead when I'm finished with him!" the smirk shifted to cunning in a matter of seconds. "And you……..you will give yourself to me willingly again. Not in dreams, not by tricks, but by opening yourself and allowing me entrance into your body. I will rip his beloved wife from his side and make her mine." He cupped her heated center, held her shocked gaze steadily. "I will take the earth and you from him!"

She was wrenched away from him, her eyes snapping open, her hands seeking the balcony and holding tightly to steady herself. He had snapped the connection he'd wrought between them, had shoved her back to where she had been before he'd taken her. Confused, heart racing, she realized she had been with him somewhere else in the universe, but what she had truly felt was his closeness. He was nearing them faster then she had thought possible, with an army meant to destroy the kingdom of earth and any others who threatened what he desired.

His power was nearly overwhelming. She had never thought he could possess such strength, enough to invade her dreams and take her body, enough to bring her to him on a planet she knew was several eons away from them.

She stood silently, deeply ashamed with what she had done. It was then she heard a small sound from behind her, and turned to meet the dark eyes of Ares.

He strode forward slowly, emerging from the shadows, to face her under the moons soft light. He spoke softly. "You're senshi are gone. They didn't wish to remain here with you any longer."

It was yet another blow to her already weakening heart and spirit. She needed them most now, their strength and faith, but they were gone. Struggling to withhold the memories of what she had just lived, she nodded numbly. "I know."

Surprised this had been an easy task to accomplish, Ares moved to take her into his arms, but was stopped by her lifted hand. "What is it?"

"It's Endymion, Ares." She watched a frown crease his brow, watched his eyes sharpen. "He's alive."

::

**Last Notes:** Another confusing chapter. Well, at this time I want to say that I hope not too many of you were offended that Selene was with not only Ares. I'd always planned for this story to be much different from the usual style of writing I stick too.

Lots of things happened in this chapter, I'm not even sure where to begin! I think the only part I will give a small explanation over is the suspicions that Selene, Ares, and Endymion might be related. I didn't mention any of that in this chapter, obviously there were several other things to write about, but I do want to say that the subject is definitely not closed. Emma, their mother, is still around and will continue playing a significant role also. But anyway, I won't say if this is a Selene/Endymion fic, because frankly, I can't say it at this point. It's a mystery. )

I think it's pretty interesting how both Endymion and Ares are somehow evil. Which one is actually good? Which one does she really belong with? How could Endymion have tricked her into sex, and Ares kicked her senshi off the planet? I'll let you guys wonder over that.

I'll try to get the next chapter out without waiting nearly six months again. Please leave me a review with you readers' opinion of this chapter, I would really like to know what you thought. SailorP


	5. Chapter 4: The Return of the Dark Prince

**Author's Note:** It's been a very long time since I've updates to my fanfics and I want to apologize for that. I honestly can't promise that I will be updating repeatedly now like I did before. I don't want to distract you guys for long, so read on to the story and don't forget to check out my last notes at the end of the chapter for more info.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon, but I do take ownership for the concepts and ideas that went into the making of this story.

**Memories in Time**

By: SailorPerfect

Chapter 4: The Return of the Dark Prince

The Moon

The planet of the Selenity's had always been a prosperous place. Although war had come, had swept through the peaceful planes of the planet, it had remained with it's air of beauty and hope. Both virtues had served as a symbol throughout the galaxy and other planets of the system.

That belief had been upheld by the ruling Queen, the Queen who carried the hope of the future and the beauty that came with the Moon. Without that Queen, both were lost.

The planet was quiet in the early afternoon of the progressing day. The people went about their daily lives, some still celebrating the union that had only taken place a week before. The palace stood at the center of the city, the white beacons and walls standing gracefully as a reigning Queen, the Lunar Guard patrolling diligently. It appeared as another ordinary day to the city of the Silver Millennium.

At the balcony that overlooked the city, they stood, silent and watchful. They knew that these people, the people who lived under Selenity and loved, knew nothing of the fate that had become of her. None of them were to know the ruthless man she had tied herself too, the man who had thrown her own guardians from his planet in order to tie her more securely to him.

Mina could still feel her own rage at the injustice of what he had done. Her hands curled into fists over the stone balcony, her rage growing so quickly she had cracked the stone without realizing it. It was Lita who placed one hand over hers, calming the seething fury, allowing her to release the abused stone from her hands.

"We stand here, doing nothing, when we should be at her side protecting her." Mina whispered it darkly, her gaze sweeping over the plains of the Moon. "The man is a monster and we need to save her from him before he harms her."

Amy shook her head from where she stood some feet away, leaning against the wall of the balcony. "If there's one belief we can hold firm too, its that he won't bring her to harm or allow any other too."

Mina whirled on her friend. "So does that mean we leave her with that bastard!"

"It means we await the arrival of the senshi of the outer system and inform them of what has occurred. They will know best what to do." Amy spoke calmly, despite the anger pouring from Mina in waves.

"She must think we left her." Raye rubbed at her temples. "She must think the worst."

"Of course she does." Lita agreed. "But it must remain that way for now. There's nothing we can do, _and_-"she quickly added before Mina could snap out a retort, "we must remain in the hope that Ares will keep her safe."

Thoughtful, Amy began to pace across the vast balcony. "Lita, do you remember the dream she told us she had her wedding night?"

"Yes, of course. What about it?"

"What dream?" Raye questioned sharply, suddenly alert.

"It seems Selene dreamt of Endymion on her first night with Ares. But it wasn't so much the fact that she did, but the dream itself that caught my attention. The way she described it, the way she went into the emotions she felt from him. I could see in her eyes a hope and also fear that perhaps her dreams were real." Amy tapped her finger against her lips absently. "What if they are?"

Lita waved her hand dismissively. "We've been through this already Amy."

"No!" Raye's eyes had darkened perceptibly, and she walked toward the balcony's stone railing, her eyes on the sky above them and the planets littered across the never ending galaxy. "I saw something in the fires last night, something dark and malicious. A man, a man filled with vengeance and hatred, and also a fierce lust." She paused to rub her temples once again, the ache troubling. "The lust was terribly strong, but also mingled with violence, possessive violence." Her eyes met the other women's, one by one. "I believe the man was Endymion."

"That's not possible." Lita's mouth had gone dry with terror. Although she hoped it to be a lie, she knew now it couldn't be. The visions that came to Raye in the fire were always accurate. Always.

"It is." Raye swept her trembling hands through her hair. "That isn't all I saw. He had an army, a massive army, larger then any I've ever seen. It seemed...it seemed almost as if they had been sleeping, waiting to be awakened by him. The union of his brother with Selene was what I believed triggered the awakening in him."

"Awakening? What do you mean? Are you saying Endymion was alive all these years and..._sleeping_?" Mina asked incredulously.

"I'm not sure. I only know it was their union that awoke him, and their union that has him leading that army to the earth as we speak." Raye could feel herself shudder at the memory of his intense hatred. "Do we warn them?"

"No." Mina issued the command sharply, and had all eyes moving swiftly to her. "No, we don't warn them."

"But Mina-" Amy began.

"I said 'no.'" Mina turned back to gaze out at the rapidly darkening sky. "We wait, and we see what exactly is approaching. And we wait for the senshi of the outer system to come. Once we are all together, then we will decide what needs to be done."

"The decision will still ultimately be yours Mina." Lita said softly. "Selene appointed you as Head General of all her armies."

Mina nodded. "It will, but with all of us together, the decision will come much easier to me. So until then, we wait."

:: 

The Planet Earth

Dawn spread quietly over the earth, the signs of early spring in the blossoming blooms that spread to encompass a large portion of the fields about the palace. The sun was warm this day, shining brightly to chase the last of the nights chill away.

Selene stood at the balcony to the rooms she shared with Ares, overlooking the birth of a new day. She had donned her robe and tied it securely about her waist, crossing her arms beneath her breasts against the slight chill still left in the air. Her cheeks were pale, the shadows that looked as dark as bruises over her smooth, creamy flesh signs of the restless nights she had.

It had been days since that first night she had been with Endymion, since she had informed her husband of his brother's return. Ares had been unable to believe it, unable to believe his brother could be alive after all these years. He had listened to her when she had told him of the evil she felt in him, of how the gentle man he'd once been was now gone.

But she had been unable to tell him of her own betrayal.

Ares had been furious to know his brother would come to her in dreams and haunt her. And he had also been frightened of that threat. He himself knew how much love Selenity had once felt for him and how much love Endymion had felt for her. With this new revelation, the unease and jealousy he felt was threatening to nearly consume him.

Selene knew this, could see this in him, and felt it in their moments alone together. The desperate edge in his lovemaking, the frantic beating of his heart against hers as they came together. He had her watched continuously by his most trusted Generals. Most days it was Malachite who kept silent vigil, and she had grown used to his presence almost immediately.

He questioned her every morning, whether she had dreamt that night yet again, and she always informed him she had not. Endymion had not made himself known to her again since that first time, and she wondered if perhaps he had retreated from them and decided to leave them in peace.

But deep in her heart she knew her hopes were groundless. He would come for her soon, and he would wage a terrible war against his brother to take her back. The very life of the earth's people would rapidly be changing.

And what of her own emotions, her own hopes? She loved Ares, loved him with all her heart, but the memories of her first love could not be forgotten. Endymion had meant everything to her at one point, had made her ache with the sight of him, had made her heart swell with such a tremendous love. At times she wondered how it was she had survived his death.

Sighing warily, she turned from the warmth of the day before her and back into their rooms, laying back down on the smooth, cool sheets of their bed. Ares had woken her early this morning, and had brought her such savage passion she could still feel herself tingling from the encounter. She felt her eyes drifting closed, felt her body relaxing into the softness of the bed, and found herself slide smoothly into dreams that misted over and took her once again to him.

He was nearer now, much closer then he had been before. Of that she was certain. This was a palace, one of the dark kingdoms he resided in while traveling the galaxy. She wondered fleetingly how many kingdoms he possessed.

"Not enough, I'm afraid." His voice came from behind her, a deep, enthralling voice that had her turning slowly. "Such power is never enough, once it's been tasted."

The power of him, the force of his appeal hit her like a cold slap, and she stared mutely as he approached from the shadows of his rooms, coming nearer to her. "You look delicious Selene." His chuckle was quiet, mocking.

He had tricked her before, but didn't seem to find it necessary to do so again. "Why did you bring me here?" she spoke quietly, keeping her voice even and calm despite the furious racing of her heart.

He stepped more fully into the small shadows of light, and she could see he was dressed in armor, a gleaming sword at his side. "Because you belong to me." He came closer, lifting a hand to her throat, tracing the pearl that rested quietly against her cool flesh. "This is proof. Tell me, why did you never discard it?"

She lifted her chin to meet his eyes steadily, remaining still even when his hand went lower, one finger lightly lingering over her breasts. "It was the last memory I had of you." She reached up and gripped his wrist, stopping his lazy explorations. "Don't." She whispered the warning quietly.

His smile was slow, and cool enough to remind her to use caution with him. "And why not? You are the woman I was to marry, after all."

"That's past now Endymion. I'm married to your brother." She watched the fury come, watched his features snap from calm to seething.

"Yes, and how easy that transition was for you." He swept one powerful arm about her and yanked her to him, his lips coming down on hers in ruthless possession. "Have you forgotten me then? Am I no longer in your heart?" His lips raced over her face, down her throat, a man desperate for the taste of the woman he had long lost. "Answer me!"

"I can't." She couldn't stop the tears that came, couldn't stop the sorrow that gripped her and threatened to choke her. "Please, let me go Endymion. Let me go."

His hold tightened, his mouth covering hers once again. His body was as taut as a tightly strung bow, his mouth ravenous in its hungry pursuit for her. She tore her lips away, gripping his shoulders as he buried his face in her neck. "Endymion, please-"

"This is not how this will end Selene. You were meant for me. For _me_! He sentenced himself to death the moment he touched you!"

Rage, betrayal, her own fury came boiling to the surface so quickly she was amazed at it, and in the next second she had shoved Endymion hard, causing him to stumble two full steps back. "He sentenced himself to nothing! You disappeared Endymion! _You_ abandoned me, you abandoned the both of us! Is it our fault we found love in one another? Is it a crime we thought you dead when we joined?" She was trembling with the emotions coursing through her. How dare he blame them, accuse them of betrayal when they had thought him dead!

She watched his eyes darken from blue to a near black, a single muscle ticking in his jaw. His fists clenched brutally at his sides, and outside the ominous rumbling of thunder had Selene backing slowly away from him. "A crime? You dare name what was done a mere _crime_! **_He took you from me_**!" He thundered the accusation, beyond reason, the world exploding outside the palace as his fury mounted to near madness. Suddenly terrified of him, Selene attempted to run from the room, to race away from him and the dark man he had become, but was caught from behind immediately and whirled to face him. The livid fury darkening his features had been caused by her, and she was almost certain her death would follow.

His arms were powerful bands of steel yanking her to him, his brutally handsome face only inch's from hers. "He will die for taking you, he will see his men fall, he will see the earth burn, and he will know at his end that it was I who took everything he loved from him! He will know you are to be mine once again, and he will live only long enough to see you rule at my side!"

Selenity could feel the earth trembling below them, could hear the continuous cracking of thunder surrounding the palace. Desperate, she pushed at his broad shoulders. "Stop it! You're scaring me!"

He was breathing hard, his nostrils flared, his lips in a rigid, tight line. "You will grow accustomed to me Selene, for I will soon be your husband." His grip suddenly gentled, his head descending to hers. She couldn't help the shudder that passed through her when she felt his mouth moving slowly against her throat, his massive body crowding hers. The hunger rose in him instantly, the fierce need and violent lust he held for her nearly consuming him.

Only she could quench his terrible need. Only she could calm the monster that lived and breathed inside of him.

Selene was still against him, wondering at how quickly the rage had dissolved the moment he touched her. He moved closer to her, and she could feel his hands sliding through her hair, down her back, to circle her tiny waist and press her forward to him. She felt her breasts give against the hard steel of his broad chest, and sighed quietly when his mouth covered hers.

The memories of how he had once been consumed her, and she drew him close, lost in the warmth of the love she had felt for him. Images of their past mingled with the present, the love that had once dominated her heart bursting free as he took the kiss deeper, as he tangled one hand in her hair and slanted her mouth beneath his. Murmuring mindless words of love against his mouth, she formed no protest when he laid her on his bed, his large, massive frame following and blanketing hers.

His hands were at her breasts, parting the robe that covered her body, sliding the thin material of her silk nightgown aside. Cool air touched her warm flesh, tightening her nipples, and she shivered delicately, moaning in protest when his lips left hers, trailing lightly down her throat. Her hands were in his dark hair, her legs shifting restlessly beneath his. She arched her back and cried out when his mouth closed over her breast, when his tongue stroked across the hard bud of her nipple, his hands descending slowly over her body.

She realized as he took the nightgown from her body that she had never stopped loving him, not for one moment of her life. She knew then that even when she had been with Ares, even when she had lain with him, married him, that she had still longed, hoped for Endymion's return. She realized, as his own hard, naked body covered hers, that she loved him even now, after knowing the dark man he had become.

He inserted one knee between her smooth thighs, parting them and giving him access, his mouth suckling patiently at her breast. He sank into the cradle of her body, her thighs winding themselves about his hips, her own moving enticingly against his. The darkness, the madness that clouded his mind, that draped itself as a dark shadow over his heart was momentarily forgotten, and he slid smoothly inside her welcoming body.

She cried his name, panted it against his rock hard shoulder, and he moved with aggression against her, his mouth leaving her breast to take hers almost desperately. Her hands slid over his taut shoulders, felt the muscles straining beneath her wandering hands, and nearly cried with the sheer ecstasy of their joining.

In the midst of their lovemaking he felt it, the call of another, the threat of a power issuing its warning to him. He lifted his head and sent his instincts on alert, listening in silence as the brutal rage of another slammed into him with alarming strength.

Endymion knew who it was. He wasn't a fool to not recognize the power of his own twin brother. They had fought each other several times in their past as a test against one another, Ares always the one to emerge victorious. In those times Ares had dominated over both of them.

But those times, like so many others, were a distant memory now.

He was no longer merely a younger brother, born second to a more powerful being. He was a Dark Prince, rightful in the powers that had been inherited to him, and ruler of what surrounded he and Selene. Ares would find that frightening him would take more then a mental battle of wills.

Darkly pleased with the ease with which he had been able to dismiss Ares' mental attack, he returned his attention to Selene, who was crying out his name beneath him, clutching him tightly to her. Swept over by a fierce need to mark her absolutely as his, he buried his face in her neck and plunged them ahead into the shattering release that soon followed.

Silence crept over them, the cool wind of his planet whispering through the open window to slide quietly over them. He lay over her, nearly crushing her into the bed, his arms holding her tightly to him. He was gently, tenderly, kissing her throat, his eyes closed, the hard lines of his face relaxed.

Selenity turned to watch him, studying the man he had become. She had thought him devastating as a young man, but knew now she had been unprepared for the physical perfection he would reach.

As if sensing her scrutiny, his eyes opened, the burning blue settling on hers. They studied one another in silence, until she finally broke it by asking the question he had once refused to answer.

"Do you still love me Endymion?" She needed to know. She had betrayed her husband, had opened her heart to the love she now felt for him. She needed to know if the love she felt enveloping her heart was felt only by her.

Endymion was silent, his body stiff against hers, his eyes holding hers for several moments. When he spoke at last his tone was rough, hoarse, as if this revelation had robbed him of his powers of speech. "I have spent years in darkness, have lasted through each year of loneliness as if it were an eternity. I have claimed and conquered the army of darkness I now hold, have ruled this planet and several others with utter tyranny. But never, in all these years of bleak darkness and murderous existence, have I forgotten you Selene." One rough hand cupped her cheek, and she held his gaze fearlessly, despite the darkness taking over his features. "You are _**mine**_, and never will I allow you to forget it again!"

His lips were on hers, his hips lunging forward to take possession of her, and she could merely sigh with her love as he took her once again.

:: 

The Moon

They arrived in the darkness of the night, unwilling to have the entire planet rejoice at their return. The Lunarians knew they visited very little, and their presence was a cause for great joy and celebration. They wished to avoid such a welcome by arriving unnoticed.

They entered the palace undetected by the Lunar Guard, but did not find fault in this. There were only five other beings in the universe who could detect them, and four of them presently resided in this palace.

They found them waiting in the courtyard of the palace, with the little light the night left slanting over their still forms.

The leader of the group bent to one knee immediately, always respectful of the ranks that had been given to them by their Queen, Selenity. The leader of her Senshi, of her armies, was to be treated with the utmost respect, with or without the Queen's presence.

"Please, that's not necessary at this time." Mina said quietly, moving forward to take Haruka's hand and help her to her feet.

The moment Haruka had risen, the three other senshi of the Outer System rose as well, coming forward to formally greet the senshi of the Inner Kingdom.

"You called us back." Haruka spoke quietly, keeping her gaze fixed on Mina's. "You said our Queen is being held prisoner."

"By the King of Earth, Ares." Mina confirmed.

Michiru frowned, her soft eyes troubled. "But isn't he her husband?"

"The situation is not as simple at that." Lita told them of what had occurred so quickly in the last week, how Selenity and Ares had fallen quickly in love, of their fear that they may be brother and sister, and finally of the return of Endymion.

"We must make a decision of what we are to do then." Setsuna wondered at what could be, and what the dim future now held. "But you four must be made aware of the discovery we made upon our return."

"What is it?" Mina dreaded what she could see already in Haruka's eyes.

"Endymion did not merely return as a man with a massive army now behind him. He controls the Dark Kingdom, and has caused it to flourish in the years since his disappearance. It appears his next target is Earth, and his brother Ares."

"He would threaten Selene?" Amy asked with horror and shock.

"No, he would not threaten Selene. His purpose is to take her and crown her as his Queen. He would create his reign here and spread the darkness that has taken him to the entire galaxy." Haruka rubbed at her temples momentarily. "But yes, this would pose as a threat nevertheless to Selene."

"You know everything now. You've heard what could and will be happening." Setsuna raised one slim brow. "What will you do Mina?"

Mina was silent, slowly digesting the information that had newly presented itself to her. Her sole concern was the safety of Selene, as it would always be, but at this moment her Queen had two malicious men who both desperately wanted to possess her.

Which possessed her now?

The question was disturbing to her, and had her back straightening with the decision she must come too. "We have no choice. We will return to Earth, and inform Ares of this, if he does not already know. Once he is informed, we will help him in ridding this evil that threatens to take over the galaxy. Our mother's before us fought Chaos and protected the former Queen from evil." She lifted her chin, and her eyes met each of the senshi's. "We must now do the same."

:: 

The Planet Earth

Malachite dreamt of her often, when the loneliness came in the dark hours of the night and finally drove him to a restless sleep. She had been gone from him for over a week now, and his heart had bled more with each passing day.

He had never loved a woman before. He had taken many, had countless lovers, but never given his heart to any of them. He knew now that he had been silently waiting for Mina to present herself into his life.

And in the past week his allegiance to his sovereign had been sorely tested. He knew Ares had inherited much from his father, but had never imagined how deep the darkness and violent possession ran in him. He had seen it himself, had felt it when his King had attacked his woman and instead given him a hard blow. That wound had been much more severe then he had allowed Mina to believe. The medical physician of the Earth had taken great pains in healing it.

Malachite knew his thoughts could be considered treason, thoughts of stealing away into the night and going to the Moon, to Mina, and never returning to Earth. Just the mere thought of being with her once again sent a wave of deep longing coursing through him.

But his own promise held him back. He would never go against what he had told Mina, promising to remain behind and watch over Selenity. No matter how his heart cried out for his beautiful warrior, he would not break the promise he had made to her.

It was the late hours of the night, and he strode through the palace after returning from a brief meeting with the other Generals. They each agreed Ares had become much more violent lately, filled with suspicion concerning everything and everyone. He had Selene watched daily, had the palace guards doubled, and the patrols that kept watch over any intruding enemies work harder and much longer then ever before. It made each man nervous to see this, and also wonder at what could be causing this. Ares refused to speak of it with them.

He was striding through the palace halls, deep in thought, when he heard the shouts. Alarmed, he raced up the stairs of the palace, meeting each of the Generals as they went, bursting into the room his King shared with the Queen.

They found Ares tearing the room apart with his bare hands, the bed completely disheveled, the furniture about the room upturned and littered across the marble floor. He had smashed everything in his rage, the aura that was his birthright slowly pouring from him in waves. The three other Generals could only stare in horror at this, amazed he had unleashed the terrible fury none of them had ever seen before.

It was Malachite who stepped forward cautiously, his hands held up in peace, his eyes locked to the taut back of his King. "Ares, what's happened? What caused this?" He spoke calmly, making sure to allow none of the fear or horror he felt to reflect in his tone.

Minutes of silence ticked by, Ares' heavy breathing the only sound in the room. Slowly, carefully, he turned back to them, and they were faced with the emergence of the evil that had always lived quietly in his heart.

"She's gone."

Malachite suppressed the shudder that almost came. He had never thought to see Ares reach this point, well beyond madness. "Who?" The moment he spoke the single word he knew, and knew then that the peace that had filled the galaxy was now at an end.

"Selene. She's gone."

The Generals exchanged worried glances with one another, but Malachite remained impassive. "But who could have taken her, my Lord?"

When Ares answered at last it shocked him to the very core of his being, as well as the men who stood behind him. "The same man who now controls the Dark Kingdom." His dark eyes met Malachite's, and in them was murderous rage. "My brother Endymion."

::

**Last Notes:** So I really hope all those who read this chapter enjoyed it. I realize not very much happened, but the story is progressing as I want it too. Evil is the most dominant characteristic in this fic, shared by the brothers. Which one will actually remaining standing in the end, and which one will win Selene over? Pretty interesting.

Now about my updates. I can't say when my next update is, or even which story it will be. I'm really busy with work and school, but I do promise to update as much as I can. It's been months and all you readers have been extremely patient and I just wanted to say thank you for that. Any e-mails that were sent to my hotmail account I didn't get also because of some problem. Don't think I just didn't want to respond.

So anyway, please don't forget to leave me a review saying what each of you thought, and thanks for reading! SailorP


	6. Chap 5: The Origin of Darkness Revealed

**Author's Note:** Here is the next chapter. Don't forget to read the notes at the end of it and do enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon, but I do take ownership for the concepts and ideas that went into the making of this story.

::

**Memories in Time**

By: SailorPerfect

Chapter 5: The Origin of Darkness Revealed

Nemesis, Central Planet of the Dark Kingdom

Victory came in so many ways.

It seemed that although Ares had always been the older brother, the stronger of the two, after so many years of loneliness and the emergence of the strength of his evils, he now held the upper hand.

But such things were not to be gloated on. A prize such as the one now currently sleeping in his bed would always be nameless, priceless. Victory was a sweet taste on his tongue, like a fine wine, although the bitterness of life still held his heart entrapped in its jealousies.

So many years ago he had been gone. So many years of living as a void, as a mere _body_, a vessel used to conquer the known worlds he held. None of what had occurred had been his choices solely. They had been shared, directed by another who had led him to the victories and power one as young as he would never have been able to carry on his own.

The other had also banished all memories of Selene, feeling a love such as this was weak and would not due to be carried as a torch in a man meant to rule the Dark Kingdom. His existence had been barren, a day by day hell of no emotion. Battles had honed his body into the hard, remarkable build he now held, the killing of innocents beneath his blade chasing the gentleness of youth away. His heart had darkened over time, his mind focusing with only one purpose.

To possess more power then any other in the universe.

Together they had managed to take and possess much of the universe's strengths, much of its wealth and importance. Worlds had been plundered by them, lives had been taken, empires overrun in a matter of hours. Endymion had lived the life of a man empty of all but the thirst for more.

He would have remained trapped in this world, under the other's thrall, but the union of his brother and his woman had been so strong, the surge of power sent out by their joining bodies so powerful, he had awakened as if from a nightmare of years and felt the bombarding of rage and sorrow all in a matter of seconds.

It had been foreign to feel such heartache and despair so quickly, to feel such a betrayal by the two people who had mattered most in his world. But he had soon realized they had thought him dead all these years, gone from them.

His mind had been, trapped in another's, while his body had remained living and breathing, conquering and slaughtering for the gain of more.

But something he had quickly realized as well was that no matter how much he would have been pleased to believe he had been under the other's complete control, he knew in his heart he had not. Ares had always been the stronger of the two, always so confident in his abilities and easily able to control others about him. With the help of the other, he had been able to realize his own power and finally allow it to fester and strengthen, enough to where his brother could no longer match him in a battle against one another.

He would need that power now, he mused as he strode from the balcony of his rooms and back into the cool interior. Selenity lay across his bed, her silvery hair spread about his pillow, her long, slim body stretched out and covered scantily by a single, thin sheet. She looked exquisite, the most ethereal woman he had ever seen in all his travels.

He knew Ares was now preparing his armies, intending to send them out in search of his Queen. Endymion had no intention of allowing her anywhere his brother ever again, nor did he intend for Ares to meet him in a surprise battle. He would find that frightening him would take more then merely a war.

He felt Selene was well worth it. When he had been awakened fully back into himself, the first person he had thought of had been her. His love for her had come back as strongly as it had once been. It was something that had never wavered nor disappeared with time.

Of course the realization that she had become his brother's wife had quickly dispelled any joys he may have felt. Love had swiftly moved to a dark, deadly obsession, and the betrayal, the rage he'd felt upon awakening had driven him to take her from his brother with a black magic he had learned long ago.

The other entity that had taken over his body and banished his memories of her had been then banished by him. Love and obsession for her had strengthened his mind and enabled him to push the other back into oblivion and finally take complete control of himself once again.

He would always be thankful to the other for giving him the power and knowledge he now had. It was that power and wisdom that would help him in destroying Ares and the empire he had created after their father's death.

In bed Selene shifted, her long lash's fluttering for a moment before they lifted and her eyes focused on him. He expected some shock, some surprise at awakening with him for the first time and not her husband. He was pleased she merely held the sheet to her breast and sat up, those eyes remaining calm and cool, and directed steadily on his.

"Did you sleep well?" He asked the question quietly, watching her intently. He had been aware that although he had been able to take her from his brother, Ares himself might also find a way to steal her back. With this awareness he had placed a strong, protective shield in her mind while she slept, blocking any others from invading unless it was him.

She tossed her hair over her slim, pale shoulder, nodding slightly. "Yes, I did." She ran her hands over the smooth, silk sheets, shifting over enough to show him she wished for him to sit next to her.

He obliged, moving forward and settling himself on the bed, drawing her into his arms, her bare body rubbing itself against his naked upper torso. "What is it?" He nuzzled her hair gently, waiting for her response.

She took her time, clinging more strongly to the arms he had wrapped around her. "I've betrayed my husband, Endymion." Her tone broke, her eyes blinking rapidly at the tears that burned and threatened to leak through. "Ares never deserved this."

His arms tightened, his lips forming a thin line. He could feel the fury boiling in his gut, the nameless rage that was quickly becoming a familiar emotion whenever he thought of his woman and his brother. "Do not speak his name to me." He warned her softly, a distinct edge to his voice.

The sorrow and guilt was quickly banished by his tone, her own anger mounting to match his. She twisted out of his arms and took the sheet with her, wrapping it about her body as she paced away from him. "And don't you dare deny what we've done! I _married_ your brother Endymion, your _twin_ brother! And now I've left him to be with you, the ruler of the Dark Kingdom!"

His eyes flared with fury, the deep blue turning a violent black. But when he spoke his voice was calm, completely at odds with the dark shadow moving over his features. "And you will not return to him, no matter how guilty you feel."

Selene raised one slim brow, her eyes shifting from furious to cool. "If I chose to return to my husband, you nor any other would be able to stop me."

He moved so quickly Selene let out a screech of fright, suddenly swept into his fierce embrace, his eyes mere inch's from hers. "You underestimate my powers, little one. You will not move from this palace, from this _room_, without my consent."

"This is madness you speak, Endymion. You can't hope to keep me trapped in this room for all time." Selene attempted to soothe him, to make him see some sort of reason.

"If it means keeping you at my side and away from any possible threats, than I will most assuredly keep you here." Endymion jerked her closer to him, crushing her lips in a brutal kiss of violent possession under his. When he pulled back enough to allow her air, he quickly began an erotic exploration of her throat. "You've been gone from me for so many years."

This was the closest he'd come to resembling the man she had once known, a gentle, yet strong man who had captured her heart for all time. "I never stopped loving you Endymion, not for one moment of that time."

He could feel the fury threaten to emerge, but he battled the demon back, knowing she wasn't a woman to speak a lie to him. Although she had married and lain with his brother, he knew through it she had never stopped loving him. "You will remain with me now." It came as an order, not a request.

She smiled as she stroked his dark, unruly hair, soothing him with her touch and presence. "I will remain with you." She agreed quietly.

He lifted his head from her throat, allowing his piercing eyes to meet hers. "And what of when my brother comes for you? What of when Ares comes with his armies and threatens me and this world?"

Selene knew the day would come. Ares loved her, as she still loved him, but he would most definitely be gathering his forces together at the present time to assimilate an attack against his twin brother and take his wife back. She was his wife, the Queen of the Silver Millennium and now the Earth, her rightful place by his side. When he came for Endymion, she would have to face him and the treachery of her actions.

She knew though that love was never to be set aside, especially the love she felt for this man. It was an all consuming emotion she would never be rid of, one that she would carry in her soul as long as she existed. Such a love was only ever felt once in all of one's lifetimes.

Wrapping her arms securely about his neck, Selene lifted her lips and melded them with his, directing the kiss to be slow and devastating, and passionate enough to have them both tumbling together onto the bed.

His hands were rough against her soft skin, his mouth avid and aggressive as he traveled with ravenous hunger down her slim length. She cried out against him and arched more closely to him, clutching his dark head in her hands.

Endymion took her furiously, sending them both flying beyond the stars and into their own paradise, free-falling back to the present time and to one another. His chest was heaving against her naked breasts, his face buried deeply against the smooth slope of her neck. He felt love and obsession rise so swiftly he was unable to separate the two, his hands clutching her brutally.

"I will destroy him." He swore it quietly, as his body remained locked with hers, as her arms cradled him drowsily close. "I will rip him apart and eliminate any threats he may pose to you."

Selene chose instead to remain silent, holding him closely and hoping the demon that now lived inside Endymion would never turn itself upon the good of this universe.

::

The Planet Earth

They arrived on the planet amid plans for war and destruction. Ares was gathering his forces to him, several thousands of soldiers flying in from the outer system patrols, others riding in from the corners of the Earth to fight under their King. The rumors were he had gone mad with fury and a demonic rage days earlier, that the force of his seething emotions had caused the entire planet to tremble and a slight wave of power to explode from the earth.

The Senshi had felt this explosion, and although the other senshi had been confused over it Mina had known what it was caused by. Only one with true power and strength could cause such an occurrence. She had been terrified to realize Ares could contain such an enormous amount of energy inside of him.

She was surprised when they weren't questioned at their arrival, even more shocked when it seemed they were expected and escorted from the space port to the palace. The courtyard was filled with men preparing for battle, the halls littered with more soldiers who made their way through the halls to either training or the weaponry room. The young soldier who escorted them took them to a large study, one Mina recognized as Ares'. They were left alone, the door closed at their backs.

In silence they waited, each of them allowing their gazes to travel throughout the room, warily awaiting someone to make an appearance. It took only moments for the doors to burst open and Malachite to rush in, followed by the other three Generals close behind him.

Mina's gaze locked with his, and in them she saw immediate joy, so much she had been about to launch herself into his arms when a voice spoke from the shadows of the room. "You have two minutes to tell me what you know of my wife's disappearance before I consider you traitors and execute each of you myself." The voice was low, filled with hatred and venom, and although they hardly recognized it, each of the women knew who it belonged too.

The Outer Senshi each glanced briefly at one another, moving more closely together as Mina stepped forward and lifted her chin, her blue eyes darkening with anger as her gaze searched the room. "We know Selenity has been taken by her former fiance and your twin brother, Endymion." Mina raised a single, slim brow in mocking amusement. "Were you not able to protect her yourself?"

Each of the women felt the rise of power, the immediate anger that caused Ares' aura to rise and his power to fill the room until Mina feared they would each be consumed by it. "I'm of a mind to murder each of you and be done with it, but the knowledge that you could very well find me my wife holds my blade in place." He emerged from the cornered darkness of the room, and each of the women realized he had shifted from the jealous, suspicious husband they had left, only to become a tyrant who would eliminate any who stood between he and his wife. "So be warned to hold your tongue woman, or I'll be forced to slice it from you."

Mina refused to be intimidated by the look of him, the dark, almost calm way in which he moved through the room, like a predator stalking it's prey. "It seems we must reach a mutual compromise, or we'll murder each other before the day is done."

Ares' smile was thin. "You can be certain of your own death if you defy me, rest assured."

"Enough!" Malachite shouted the command, tired of watching his sovereign threaten the woman he loved. "This bickering gains us nothing. If we do not unite and fight together, we have no hope of ever regaining the Queen and defeating Endymion's armies."

"He's right Mina." Lita spoke quietly, reaching one hand out and gripping her friends arm. She could feel the muscles vibrating beneath her hand, but it was the current of power that worried her, straining for release. "Were all angry and worried for Selene's disappearance, but fighting amongst one another won't help her."

Mina kept her gaze locked with Ares', deliberately relaxing her tense muscles degree by slow degree. Her powers had been much to close to the surface that time, she reflected with some annoyance. "Your right, of course. I'll speak calmly, but not with this man threatening the lives of my senshi."

Malachite spoke before Ares could. "That is agreed, as long as the only murdering we speak of is that of the Dark Kingdom's army." He slid his gaze to his King's, distinctly warning him to not contradict him.

Ares wanted to lash out at these women, who were the closest thing he now had to his wife. He had not wanted to rely on them, had not wanted them near he at any time. That had been the entire reason he had sent them from his planet, to keep her locked more securely to him with no threats. He would now have to live with the guilt and knowledge that if he had allowed them to remain, perhaps Selene would never have been taken from him.

It cost him, to swallow pride and anger, and look at them as fellow soldiers who also loved his wife and wished only for her protection and happiness. "I want her back." The words slipped out before he could censure them, and in them each person in the room was able to hear the immense loneliness and love he held for his beloved wife.

Mina felt herself soften, her anger sliding away and being replaced with a strong understanding. Taking the step he had initiated, she went to him and placed her hand gently on his arm. "So do we. I promise you, your Highness, we will do everything in our power to get her back."

"I want all of you to understand something in this moment." Ares made sure he met the eyes of each of them, the Senshi and his Generals before he spoke. "I no longer consider Endymion my brother, but the man who now rules and controls the Dark Kingdom, therefor making him my enemy. The decisions I make, the actions I take, are to destroy this evil and to take my wife back. I will show him no mercy."

A heavy silence followed, accompanied only by the sounds of soldiers training outside the walls of the room. Everyone of them knew Ares was justified in his anger, in the fury he felt and the vengeance he now desired, but the four Generals who had once known Endymion and loved him as friends could not help feeling a small denial in this decision.

It was Haruka who stepped forward and spoke what the senshi had discussed among one another along the journey to Earth. "If we are to work together then every fact, every truth must be taken into account. Although your anger is your right, you must also realize something else."

Ares' dark gaze slid over her, a single muscle ticking in his jaw. "What?" He snapped the request, his mind already wandering with possibilities to begin his pursuit of his brother and take back his wife.

Mina held up her hand for Haruka's silence, allowing the other senshi to realize she was taking it upon herself to deliver this information to him. It pained her to be the one to tell him this, these truths that would only hurt him more and increase his sense of betrayal, but she and the other senshi had together agreed he needed to be told everything. "Selene is not a weak woman to allow a man to take her and hold her against her will." Mina made sure to keep her gaze locked with his, placing herself between him and her senshi. "You understand that she is a direct descendent of the goddess of the Moon, that she has immense power of her own?"

Ares had refused to allow his mind to take this route of thought, had cut off his wandering mind when he had begun to see past Endymion's treachery and to his own wife's. Even as the seed of doubt struggled to take flight, he ruthlessly shut it away and took blind anger against truth. "I refuse to listen to this." He shoved past her toward the doors.

Mina whirled to face his back, determined to see this through. "Selene was taken, yes, but don't blind yourself to the truth Ares. She made her choice! She remains with Endymion willingly and if you are so determined to declare war on your brother, understand this!" He had halted at the doors, keeping his back to her as she shouted the words at him. "Not only will you be declaring war on your brother, but also against Selene, your _wife_! She stands at _his_ side now, not yours! And as long as that is her decision, _that_ is where she will remain!"

Malachite moved forward and placed a hand on her arm, calming her and giving her strength with his presence alone. He spoke into the silence that had once again overtaken the room. "She's right Ares. You may choose to fight and ultimately murder your brother, but Selene has chosen. If you succeed in taking the Dark Kingdom, you will have two lives and two treacheries to decide upon: Endymion and Selene's."

The senshi watched as Ares kept his broad back to them, until after moments of silence he turned and each of them was shocked to see the deadly calm that had overtaken his features. "I have made my decision. Endymion will die and my wife will be returned to me unharmed." His eyes were like ice, sweeping the room and taking in each of their shocked faces. "Is that understood?"

They remained silent, watching as he stalked from the room and slammed the door behind him. They were each left with little doubt that the betrayal of his beloved wife and his long dead brother had indeed driven him mad with fury and grief, and also blinded him to the truth's that were set directly before his eyes.

"We must tread quietly with this knowledge." Malachite spoke into the silence, earning the attention of each of the warrior's. "Although each one of us is aware that the Queen made her choice, Ares refuses to see and accept this. His wife left him and although he feels she was taken, it was enough to unleash the legacy of dark power his father left in him."

Mina's eyes sharpened as she turned fully toward him, the other senshi mirroring her stance. "What dark legacy?"

The Generals glanced uneasily at one another, shifting and averting their gazes. It was Malachite who finally continued what he had spoken. "Nemesis was a demi god, a man who had the blood of the gods in him, but also the blood of mortals through his mother, the sole Queen of Earth who never took a husband. She...the late Queen..."

"She lay with the god of war and destruction, the god and King of death." Setsuna finished for him, the eyes of the senshi snapping back to her. She bowed her head in acknowledgement to the look of utter shock the Generals sent her. "You fail to understand who I am." She extended her arm, slim and pale, and in it a long staff shimmered to life, silver and bright, and at the top a globe that swirled with gray fogs and dark secrets. She brought the staff down with a snap, and the thick fog within the globe swirled, revealing huge gates guarded by a sole warrior.

Malachite was unable to speak, so shocked he could feel his heart racing within his chest. "The Gatekeeper. You are the Guardian of the Gates of Time?"

Setsuna nodded once. "I am. And the story you are about to tell is not unfamiliar to me." She met Mina's furious glare. "You Mina must understand that I could not reveal my knowledge until the time had come. There are many things I know, but none of which I may divulge of. Tampering with time carries with it several consequences, and is also against my code. Since the time has come, I feel no guilt in relaying this story to you."

Mina knew her rage was indignant, unnecessary and most certainly uncalled for, but she couldn't help the fury threatening to overflow. "You know where our Queen is."

"And you will as well, soon enough." Setsuna raised a brow in question. "Will you listen?"

Lita took hold of Mina's arm, squeezing in silent warning for her to contain her temper. "We will Setsuna."

"The late Queen lay with the god of war and destruction, the god of death and conceived with him a child. In nine months she gave birth to a son, naming him Nemesis and raising him as a single mother. She knew in her heart that Nemesis would carry the dark evils his father had passed onto him, for Nemesis had been born a demi god."

"But the god of war and destruction, he was..." Haruka's voice trailed off.

"Chaos." Michiru finished, the blood draining from her face.

"Precisely. Chaos fathered Nemesis, then each was killed by the others hand in the Millennium Wars. Only gods may mortally wound and kill one another, which is why each was murdered that day." Setsuna allowed her gaze to meet Malachite's. "And although the blood was diluted, Ares and Endymion each carry that same blood in their veins. They are the grandsons of a god, and each of them is also, by blood, a demi god."

"Demi gods? But how can this be?" Amy exclaimed in horror. "Demi gods, children of Chaos?"

Raye took hold of Mina's arms, gripping them almost brutally as her dark eyes met Mina's, terror in their depths. "My mother...what she told me..."

"It's not possible." Mina refused to believe such a horrid thought, but dread was slowly filling her as the realization of who Selene's father hit her. "Selene could not descend from such a man. She could not!"

"No, she could not." Setsuna agreed calmly, moving to stand before the senshi. "Nemesis is not Selene's father."

Raye swung to Setsuna, breathing fast, fury causing her to shout at the other woman. "Why should we believe anything you say? You've kept so much from us, why would you finally tell us now!"

"You must understand that just as each of us has a duty to our Queen and also a duty we must each fulfill, Setsuna was only accomplishing hers." Haruka's voice was terse, but her eyes were sharp as she stared unflinchingly at Setsuna. "Although some warning would have been nice."

"Wait a minute, wait a _damn_ minute." Mina, followed by Raye, Lita, and Amy, slowly approached Setsuna. "You just said Nemesis is not Selene's father."

"He is not. The Queen conceived her only daughter with another man." Setsuna let out a deep sigh. "This is a story each of you must witness, for my telling of it will not be enough, I'm afraid."

She lifted her staff and the globe shone as brilliantly as diamonds before a brilliant flash illuminated the room, the gray fogs within the globe erupting to encompass the entire room. They were taken to the dimension that existed between time and space, where centuries passed as mere seconds.

_I'll take you back, to when the Silver Millennium was ruled by the Queen Serenity, and her court were the Sailor soldiers of old. Here you will see the true essence that is Selene, and come to understand what transpired so many years ago..._

::

She had lost track of time in this dark place Endymion had brought her too. It seemed days had passed, a knowledge she was aware of only because her connection to the Moon kept her aware of her home planet and the passage of time. She had thought to feel loneliness and despair, lost in such a place ruled by the presence of evil and malice.

It was Endymion's love that kept her from losing herself and all hope.

It seemed odd to find love in a man who lived and breathed the opposite of what she stood for and what she had always fought against. In the first moments with him passion had blinded her eyes to truly seeing him and his faults, but as those moments had slid away she had come to see that although he had changed and darkened with time, the love he had felt for her had remained.

One night he had lain awake, holding her close with their hearts pounding fiercely against one another, there bodies tangled together, their limbs slick with sweat. As she had struggled for breath and reason, she had felt his head lift, had felt his gaze on her, and had opened her eyes to see his gaze locked on the necklace she had kept with her always, on the pearl that rested against her pale flesh.

He'd been unable to believe she could have kept this treasure he had given her so many years before, especially after having married his brother. There were moments when a black rage seemed to take him, causing him to become surly and pace throughout the confines of their room, brooding in mute silence as she waited for the fury of his temper to pass. He comforted himself with this fact, taking her in his arms and nuzzling her neck, murmuring quietly and calming himself with the touch and feel of her. She had kept his gift, and had never forgotten him in her heart.

Although she knew she loved Endymion and held no doubt in her heart of how strong that love had become even as the years of heartache had passed with his disappearance, she was also aware that she still loved Ares. She had indeed fallen in love with Ares in mere days and although it had occurred as quickly as a slice of lightening streaking through her heart, she knew it held true and it had been the reason she had married him. Her choice in returning to Endymion's side had been solely her choice, but there were moments she felt such a strong sense of sadness and betrayal, and she knew in her heart she felt the fierce emotions tearing through her husband due to her.

In despair at her own tangle of emotions, she strode onto the balcony of her rooms, gazing out at the darkness that was Nemesis. She had discovered after days of being brought here that this planet was populated by people who had resided here before Endymion's takeover. They were the citizens that, although being ruled by a man who was a fiercely known warrior and murdering tyrant, still struggled to live among the normality that had been their lives before Endymion came to them. Yet they were never able to forget their ruler because his army of the dark patrolled the planet and kept order under his command.

In silence she stood, studying what she imagined would be her life now, her future she had set for herself. She often wondered if she had made the right decision. Thoughts of leaving Endymion and returning to her husband came frequently, but then he would come to her, would hold her and kiss her, murmuring words of love and devotion, and her heart would shudder within and make her realize she belonged with him, and she would be nothing without him.

He had left early that morning to begin assembling his men. He had explained to her the night before he had been made aware by neighboring planets that belonged to him that Ares was calling forth all of his own soldiers and was intending to bring him into battle. She had listened as Endymion had explained quite calmly that his own brother was now declaring war on him, and that he had no choice but to accommodate him and meet him. He would not relinquish his rule, nor title, and he would most certainly never return her to him.

It had shattered her to hear Endymion speaking of murdering his own brother with no remorse or compassion. He had spoken of it as if it meant nothing, merely another task to accomplish in his spreading rule of the universe.

She couldn't allow Endymion and Ares to murder one another. She loved them both and would only wish for them to come to some understanding and bring peace the galaxy as each of them had once believed in. How could their hearts have changed so dramatically?

_Because of you..._a voice whispered, a voice that represented the guilt living and breathing inside of her, _everything that happens now is your fault. The death and destruction to follow will be caused only by you..._

She shut her eyes and shook her head sharply, although she knew the truth in the words. If it hadn't been for her none of the sorrow and heartache, this entire war would never be occurring. Had it been selfish of her to merely wish for her love back, to return to Endymion's side? Had it been wrong for the two of them to re-ignite the love that had once burned as a fierce torch inside of them?

Even as these thoughts consisting of guilt and remorse raced through her mind, she slowly became aware of a shifting occurring in the air about her. It was subtle, almost insignificant, until the stirring of power grew greater and she recognized the source, even as her mind rebelled against it. Her head lifted and her eyes searched her surroundings, unable to comprehend this could be really and truly happening.

A small shimmer formed in the air before her, a tiny light that was as clear as a crystal and as beautiful as heavens light. Taking a step back in sheer shock, the crystal suddenly erupted in a blinding foray of violent lights, causing her to shield her eyes against the majestic glow.

The crystal lights glowed and pulsed with power and life, until it calmed and allowed Selenity to lift her eyes and watch the tall, slender woman standing before her, huge wings framing her back as she stepped gracefully forward.

_"Selenity."_ The Angelic one spoke, the voice as pure and elegant as the majestic queen she had once been. _"My darling, how you've grown."_

Selenity could feel the tears in her eyes, could feel them trickling down her cheeks, even as the shock of it nearly brought her to her knees. "Mother?"

_"Yes, it's me."_ The eyes were a smoking blue, calm and holding thousands of years of ancient knowledge that Selenity had always wondered at. _"I always knew you'd grow to be a beauty. I see so much of myself in you, but its the strength and nobility of your father that shine from your eyes."_

Selenity shook her head, moving forward so she was standing close to her mother, the two women standing eye to eye. "I don't understand. How is this possible? I prayed and prayed to the goddess for your return, but nothing-"

_"Selene."_ Serenity spoke only once, but the tone had her halting. _"I do not have much time. I have not come back, I have not returned. I am merely here in spirit because it is time you understand your past, your birth."_ The eyes softened, with a trace of both love and despair. _"It is time you knew the origins of your birth."_

Selene felt a shiver move down her spine at the graveness in her mother's eyes. "My birth?"

_"I never told you who your father was. It is time for you to know."_ She reached forward and took her daughters hand, bringing it to hold against her cheek for a moment. _"Many treacheries surround you, my beloved, many mysteries and such malicious jealousy mingled with possession. I would wish for you to understand where it is you descend from so you may understand your place in this galaxy, your importance. And I know now you will understand the decisions I made, and how love may be found in more then just one man."_

"What? Mother I-"

Serenity released her daughters hand, silently gliding back, until she stood some feet away. When Selene attempted to move forward Serenity lifted her hand and halted her, her form shifting, fading, as the power that Selene had first felt grew so rapidly the air fairly vibrated with it. Within power came the shifting of time, the planet of Nemesis receding and bringing only darkness.

Selene could no longer see her mother, indeed she could only see only endless night, as if days had never existed in this dimension. The space created to hold time here was consuming, bringing with it the sensation of drowning, as if a sea of frost crawled over the body and took any emotions one might feel. Indeed she felt insubstantial, in a solitary despair caused by the sea of endless time her mother had taken her too. This was the curse brought by moving through centuries, through eons of worlds. One must conquer the cool fear of solitude and darkness in order to move through here.

Selene recalled stories of people who had attempted to use the Gates of Time and had emerged, unable to control the fear that festered and grew in the heart caused by the travel. Insanity had taken them, a punishment, but it was the curse that had remained with them until it had driven all memories of courage and light from their mind.

She could feel the creeping darkness, slithering into her mind, and just as the fear began to take hold she heard her, her voice sounding as if from a distance, but strong and true, echoing through the vastness of hollow existence and sliding smoothly into her mind and heart.

_Remember that darkness and hate may never be taken lightly. The deepest of night drapes itself over evil and enfolds it into its arms, hiding it from those who would wish for good. But remember this as well, my daughter: love and hope may fight the darkness, even when all hope seems to be lost. Courage and the purity of spirit will be the only weapons against malice and greed. Take these virtues and you will exist as a ray of pure light against even the blackest of demons..._

::

**Author's Note:** A thousand apologies for the super long delay in getting this chapter out. To every single reader who kept right on e-mailing me and not giving up hope, this chapters for you guys!

Now then, did you guys like it? I hope so! Now I know I've left it at a major cliff hanger, but the next chapter I'm currently working on and I basically know exactly where the story will go from here. No more writers block with this one, its up and running! I hope to get the next chapter done in much faster time and have it up for you readers. Obviously the next chapter will center on what happened in the past and shine some light on several things. So stay tuned!

: SailorPerfect :


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